Abstractions through traditional methods
- Henna lets clay guide her creative process
- She very slowly builds her work using a thin wall with the traditional coiling technique
- Her pieces take on abstract, organic forms
Henna Nuutinen creates large-scale, yet light and hollow ceramic sculptures. Before pursuing her childhood dream of becoming a ceramicist, she obtained a degree in interior architecture and furniture design. "Living in Portugal was a turning point in my career. I found myself completely surrounded by ceramics," Henna says. Diving deeper into the world of clay, she first focused on functional pottery. Today, Henna experiments with abstract, organic forms and aesthetics, guided by the material itself. "I am inspired by the rural nature of my childhood, from dark forests and shadows to cliffs and lakes," she says. Henna works with the traditional and very slow coiling technique, which she builds up in thin layers.
Interview
- Where do you find your inspiration?
- I am fascinated by the rugged nature of the sea, shadows, movements, stones, cliffs and dark forests. I am inspired by all the latent layering and secrets that they have accumulated in their eternity. I build abstract forms from clay through these emotions.
- What is little known about your ceramic works?
- My sculptures are quite light, and most people do not realise that they have to be hollow. The usual assumption is that they are solid and heavy like rocks. People also do not know that when the clay suggests a direction, I let it guide me. The form may emerge intuitively.
- What is your training background?
- I obtained a degree as an interior architect and furniture designer from the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk) in 2017, and a masters degree from the Aalto University in 2021. My supervisor, Kristina Riska, urged me to focus on sculptures when my own identity was still in furniture design.
- Do you master any specific techniques?
- In a very slow process, I build my work using a thin wall with the traditional coiling technique. Each layer has to dry slightly before I can add another coil in order to support the weight of the next one. I have also become interested in wood firing and its unpredictability in ceramics.
Henna Nuutinen is a rising star: she began her career in 2017 and she started teaching in 2021
Where
Henna Nuutinen
