A master of glazes
- Anni works almost exclusively with local materials
- Craftsmanship is part of her family’s heritage
- She works to find environmental solutions for her craft
Struggling to study for a linguistics entry test, Anni Paunila’s glassblower father asked her if she would consider applying for art school in Helsinki instead, so she did, and got in. Her strengths were drawing and painting; clay was never an obvious choice: “I did not have any connection to the material. Everything I did in ceramics I was disappointed with,” she says. This dissatisfaction triggered her ambition and she slowly started to understand that the material had its own voice and language. After her degree, Anni worked as a designer for industrial objects, painting with oil and doing little ceramic pieces. Today, Anni creates functional and sculptural pieces with her very own beautifully layered glazes.
Interview
- What is your specialisation?
- I would say that I am rather good at developing glazes. Currently, I am researching environmental solutions for industry. There is an environmental waste management factory nearby that has this toxic waste ash left over, which I use for making non-toxic glazes.
- What is your approach to making?
- Pottery, especially functional pieces, is designed to be touched, and touch has influenced shapes and forms of ceramics for centuries in different cultures. When I did my MA I worked with the idea of touch; how an object feels when holding it in our hands, when drinking out of a cup and so on.
- In what way is your craft linked to Finland?
- My work is rooted in the local ground as most of the raw materials I use are mined in Finland, with the exception of kaolin. For example, I use the local red clay from my garden and wood ash as raw components for glazes.
- What is the purpose of ceramics?
- I would say that it is about making marks, leaving traces that anybody can find after many years. As a material it is very interesting, it goes from being soft to as hard as stone after firing. And making ceramics includes all elements: earth, water, air and fire.
Anni Paunila is a master artisan: she began her career in 2003 and she started teaching in 2004
Where
Anni Paunila
