Photo / Aleksi Sirviö
Art is for me a poetic way to perceive reality. It is my own language, a means of communication. I aim to express phenomena through it that couldn't be conveyed in any other way. Behind the driving force and professional motivation lies excitement. It's a kind of reverse déjà vu feeling. I feel like I'm heading in the right direction when my work feels completely new and exciting, something I can't yet grasp or understand in the initial stages, but something that makes my heart beat. In a world created by the human mind, where everything can be named and categorized, making art offers a unique opportunity to explore new territories. The evolution of my works is important; they must evolve over time, avoiding repetition and stagnation. When the audience becomes accustomed to my works, I feel the need to innovate.
Ceramics and Glass
Working with ceramics and glass feels like home rather than work. These are materials I want to spend all my spare time with. Ceramics enchant me repeatedly with their versatility. Exploring ceramics feels like navigating through complex terrain filled with endless possibilities. Glass and ceramics have an almost magical feeling to me. Opening a ceramic kiln or working with glass blowing often fills me with wonder. Sometimes working feels like playing make-believe as an alchemist when plain earth transforms into gold, the glow of emerald, and bubbling glass.
The cornerstone of my work is utilizing my own methods in constructing my pieces. I strive to develop methods that are challenging, time-consuming, and complex. Themes are often communal in the art world. The repetition of certain themes among artists of the same era suggests that art is not introspective. We inhabit the same world and observe shared phenomena reflected in our art. I embrace these shared themes and material traditions with other artists. I aim to stand out in my work with my own methods, which form my signature.
Nature
Nature has been a central theme in my work. I believe that art reflects, above all, the inner world of the artist rather than just the chosen subject. This is why I remain fascinated by the well-explored idea of posthumanism and the question of whether art can be created from a non-human perspective. I have explored this by "listening" to the voices of materials and allowing them to express themselves, yet these characteristics inevitably become part of my artistic expression and thought process.
While I strive to give materials space to tell their own story, I believe that fully detaching from a human perspective is impossible. Even when I aim to explore materials or nature from their own point of view, art always retains a trace of the artist’s vision and experience.
Nature has been a recurring theme in my work, symbolizing for me the struggle for life and survival. While the audience may perceive poetic elements that evoke nature, for me, the subject is much deeper and more complex. I aim to express how nature perseveres in human-altered environments. A horsetail pushing through cracks in asphalt or vegetation sprawling along the edges of industrial zones exemplifies the resilience and vitality I find most beautiful in nature.
Untouched wilderness or primeval forests symbolize utopia, but art cannot simply escape reality. The destruction of natural habitats by humans and nature’s tireless efforts to maintain balance feel like more fitting foundations for representing today’s world. Nature and the synthetic human-made world exist in a constant state of conflict, a tension that also reflects the challenges of being human – themes of boundaries, vulnerability, and survival.
I hope that in the future, my work will increasingly convey this perspective on the relationship between nature and humanity. My goal is to present an honest interpretation of our world – not one that is harmonious and flourishing, but one that is vulnerable yet resilient, much like nature itself.
Colors have always been at the center of my works, especially experimenting with color combinations. Rather than seeking beautiful and elegant color combinations, I constantly challenge the generally accepted harmony of colors. Using clear glass and platinum-coated ceramics as materials brings two completely new dimensions to the color palette. Clear glass allows light to flow through, while the reflective platinum surface reflects it back entirely. I don't think in terms of material hierarchy when constructing works. Glass, gold, and platinum seeping from wood found in the forest, untouched and untreated, contain a delicacy that would otherwise remain hidden.
The Power of Being Unformed
My artistic practice is always accompanied by a certain tension – a feeling of incompleteness and blurred outlines. This tension fuels my work, as the artistic process brings discoveries that emerge from the space between uncertainty and excitement. Art cannot be created solely from reason or scientific thought, which sometimes raises the question of whether success or achievement in art is merely an illusion.
I often reflect on how much of an artist’s work should be explained and how much should be left to the voice of the work itself. At its best, art is non-verbal communication – a language of its own. Yet as an artist, it is important to understand one’s place in the field, recognize the impact of one’s work, and articulate it in a way that broadens its societal relevance.
A wise colleague once summarized the artistic experience for me with a quote that has encouraged me to continue: “Those who danced were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” (Nietzsche) This idea reminds me that the deepest value of art often lies in the space where words end and intuition begin
2009–2018
Aalto university school
of arts and design,
ceramics and glass arts
2005–2009
Tammerkoski Upper Secondary School of Visual Arts
2020
Young Designer of the Year
2023
Pro Vitrea Award
The Association of Finnish Sculptors
2024
Pohjola Kukkii – The North Abloom
Pro Vitrea Prize Exhibition
The Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki
2023
Keraamiset kukat eivät kuihdu
KWUM, Fiskars
2022
Lasimetsä, The Finnish Glass Museum
Riihimäki
2021–2022
Carte blanche à Matias Karsikas
Institut Finlandais, Pariisi
2020
Young designer of the year 2020
WeeGee, Espoo
2018
Mesi, Lokal,
Helsinki
2012
Robots, Napa Galleria
Helsinki
EXHIBITIONS
2024
Pro Vitrea award -exhibition
The Finnish Glass Museum,
Riihimäki
2024
Keväthymni, Lokal, Helsinki
2023
Glass Finlandia Des années
Halle du Verre, Claret
2023
Koos Gallery, Tallinn
2022
Särkyvää - Keramiikka uuden äärellä
EMMA - Espoo Museum of Modern Art
2022
Haiharan parat – kuvanveiston hahmot
Haiharan kartano, Tampere
2022
CURRENT, Lokal, Helsinki
2021
Kantava Maa, Väre, Espoo
2021
On the Edge – Äärellä, Korundi, Rovaniemi
2021
Shigaraki, Lokal, Helsinki
2020
Miniatyr Keramik, Lokal, Helsinki
2020
Ceramega, Voipaalan taidekeskus,
Valkeakoski
2020
Hyvissä Käsissä, Design museo,
Helsinki
2019
Ripples, Antonia Hamberg kotinäyttely, Helsinki
2019
The Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art Shigaraki
2019
CHART, Copenhagen
2019
Linnankatu 13, Savonlinna
2019
Japanese Design Today 100, Kansallismuseo Helsinki
2019
Coming Home, Lokal, Helsinki
2018
Desing Miami, Miami
2018
Linnankatu 13, Savonlinna
2018
Uniikki, Helsinki
2018
Bonk, Pyhäniemen kartano, Hollola
2018
European Ceramic Context, Grønbechs Gård Bornholm
2018
CHART, Copenhagen
2018
Lokal, Helsinki
2018
About Clay, Fiskars
2017
Satumetsä, Lokal, Helsinki
2017
Kotona XII Juhlat, Fiskars
2016
Behind the seen, Porvoon taidehalli, Porvoo
2016
NEW FINNISH FASHION, Finlands institutet Tukholma
2016
Respiration Inspiration, Institut finlandais, Paris
2016
Kohtaamisia, Platonin Akatemia, Tuusula
2015
Bloom, Lokal, Helsinki
2015
Muotogaala, ruokaa taiteella, Helsinki
2014
Animal, Lokal, Helsinki
2014
Art Week Helsinki, Helsinki
2014
Keramiikka tilassa – Keramiikan tila, Design Museum, Helsinki
2014
European Ceramic context
2014
Grønbechs Gård, Bornholm
2013
Samasta, Galleria Arabia, Helsinki
2013
Wonderland, London Design
Festival, London
2013
NORDIC PASSION, Seoul Museum of Art
Seoul
2013
Art Exposed, Helsinki
2013
Norther, Ventura Lambrate, Milano
2012
Art Exposed, Helsinki
2012
CLAYDROIDTRILOGY, Gallery
Atski, Helsinki
2011
Uunituoretta, LB Gallery, Helsinki
2021
April, Paris
2021
September, Paris
2017
Autumn, Shigaraki, Japan
2018,
Spring , Jingdezhen, China
AND OTHER COLLECTIONS
EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art
Designmuseum, Helsinki
The Finnish State Art Commission
KWUM
Lahti City Hall