Laura Itkonen

Ceramicist

Won over by clay

Laura's works include wall murals which combine shapes like a puzzle
She especially admires Finnish masters Rut Bryk and Birger Kaipiainen
She likes mixing tradition and new technologies

Laura Itkonen's artistic career started in a dark room with liquids and film, since she wanted to be a photographer. But then she realised something was missing, that she had a desire to create something more concrete and three-dimensional. The answer was clay. After graduating from the University of Art and Design Helsinki in 2011 she worked for five years as a visual designer for a fashion retail company. However, clay won over her and she opened her own studio in 2016. Today, she harnesses the possibilities of new technology to broaden the scope of her work. Mixing tradition with modernity and playing with contrasts comprise the essence of her work.

Interview

What inspires you?: The clay itself. I experiment with forms and materials. Making ceramics can be mysterious; you never know exactly what will happen. That's one of the reasons why I want to make my objects myself. Cities, their atmosphere and architecture, are also inspiring, as is Art Deco, Bauhaus and Memphis.
Why did you decide to start this craft?: First I wanted to be a photographer, but soon I realised that expressing myself in three dimensions was my thing. Clay is never a blank canvas. It has a shape, all you need is your hands. I also love the fact that clay is a product of nature. The town where I grew up was built on clay.
How do you harness tradition and innovation?: I combine traditional methods with modern technology, especially 3D printing. Tradition is inspiring, but I also give the material the opportunity to just 'be' and to develop into something new. I like to work with plaster moulds and slip casting, and I’m very precise with details, forms and structures.
Could your craft be considered in danger?: Ceramics as a profession is in danger, even if making ceramics is quite trendy at the moment. But I believe in combining the future and the past, and I think that the things people do with their hands can never be totally replaced with technology.

Laura Itkonen is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2010 and she started teaching in 2020