Kalevala Jewelry inspires textile artists
14.02.2012
Textile artist Laura Isoniemi and three textile design students from the School of Arts, Design and Architecture have created interpretations of Kalevala Jewelry in the form of textile art. Their work is on display at the Kalevala Jewelry shop on Unioninkatu in Helsinki.
Students Marianne Huotari, Laura Merz and Pauliina Varis and textile artist and art pedagogue Laura Isoniemi, the leader of the project, got to choose their sources of inspiration from the top ten Kalevala Jewelry best-sellers. According to Isoniemi, the project sparked great enthusiasm among textile artists. The project had a tight and intensive schedule as the commission was received in mid-December and the exhibition was opened already on 9 February. Nevertheless, the artists created more works than are on display in the exhibition.
“We have so much material that we are planning to hold a larger exhibition in the autumn. Commissions from companies are rarely this artistic and unlimited,” Isoniemi says gratefully.
Jewelry tells a story
The works in the exhibition convey, on one hand, aspects of the Finnish culture, melancholy and Northern conditions; on the other hand, they portray myths, storytelling and mythology. Three of Laura Isoniemi's designs on display are based on the Halikko necklace: the patterns in her works are the same as those in the jewelry. Isoniemi thinks that jewelry can inspire a textile artist in many ways.
“What Kalevala Jewelry and textile art have in common is decorative patterns, ornamentation and storytelling. Each piece of Kalevala Jewelry is based on a small story.”
Isoniemi says that Kalevala Jewelry and Aalto University began their cooperation already in 2009 when students of fashion and clothing design designed clothes that go well with Kalevala Jewelry. In addition, last spring the partners carried out a service design project in which a store concept was developed for Kalevala Jewelry.
The textile art on display now was made using the traditional method of serigraphy and digital printing. The selected artworks are on display until 3 March at the Kalevala Jewelry shop at Unioninkatu 25, Helsinki. The shop is open on weekdays from 10 am to 6 pm.
Text: Tea Kalska
Photos: Matti Pärssinen