THE SPIRIT OF THE MATERIAL

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1 THE SPIRIT OF THE MATERIAL Cover: CONTENT STEAMING 2008 Glass, water kettle 35 x 35 x 18,5 cm by Riikka Latva-Somppi Glass Art Exhibition in Beijing 2012

2 The Spirit of the Material exhibition in Beijing in autumn 2012 presents four Finnish and five Chinese glass artists and designers. The curated Finnish artists Renata Jakowleff, Riikka Latva-Somppi, Kirsti Taiviola and Outi Turpeinen represent the best current Finnish glass art and design as well as a fresh perspective in the art and design field internationally. The exhibition targets to present the most current glass art and design as well as to find out ways to co-operate with Chinese glass artists and local glass industry as well as education. The exhibition is curated by Professor, Yu Ding (Director of the Arts Management Department, Critic and the vice president of College of Humanities, Central Academy of Fine Art, CAFA, Beijing) and professor Tapio Yli-Viikari (Aalto University School of Art and Design, Ceramic- and glass art). The project is initiated by Professor Shu Feng Dai, (Shandong Academy of Art), President of the Glass art committee, Chinese Arts and Crafts Institute.

3 RENATA JAKOWLEFF Renáta Jakowleff, Master of Arts (born 1974 in Hungary) is a Helsinki based artist and designer working in glass media. She has graduated from the University of Art and Design, Helsinki in She has held several solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions and art competitions in Finland and Hungary. She works as a free artist focusing on commissions to public and private spaces as well as a part time lecturer and evaluator in Aalto University School of Art and Design since Jakowleff is intrigued by the liquid quality of glass. The artist is challenged by the molten material. Her new technical ideas have challenged her to explore the nature of molten glass and to survey its formal language. She has always worked relying on the material, trying to minimise her own aesthetic aspirations, to act instead as an assistant for the molten glass to help it create its own formal manifestations. In her latest works she has combined glass to video. Breath, 2010 blown and coldworked glass approx. 40 x 40 x 12 cm

4 RIIKKA LATVA- SOMPPI Riikka Latva-Somppi, Master of Arts (born 1969) is a visual and glass artist living in Helsinki, Finland. She works at the interface of applied and contemporary art using glass as her main medium. Latva-Somppi got her MA from The University of Art and Design, Helsinki in Her work has been shown widely in Finland, Europe and North- America. Her works are in various collections such as The State Art Collections of Finland, The Finnish Glass Museum, and several private collections. The Foundation for Environmental Art (Finland) awarded her public art work Satakieli / Nightingale The Certificate of Honour for Environmental Art in Latva-Somppi works as a lecturer in Aalto University, curator and in other assignments of expertise of the field. Riikka Latva-Somppi s work present the amorphous quality of glass in its physical sense as well as a notion of a substance between material and idea. Her public art projects refer to site specific notions of history and environment. In her work theory evolves to an experience, may it be intellectual, a cultural connotation, a small amused insight or simply a forgotten memory that reaches the surface in a viewers mind. Dripping (grande), 2011 glass, faucet 44 x 7 x 17 cm

5 KIRSTI TAIVIOLA Kirsti Taiviola, Master of Arts (born 1976) is a Helsinki based glass designer. Her works are interpretations of material using the means of art, design and crafts. She studies closely the aesthetics of glass and light before implementing it to her work. She works widely in the field of art and design and is best known for her lighting designs and glass jewellery. Taiviola has developed a glass blowing technique to produce texture on glass lenses. When combined with leds the lenses can be used to project different patterns of reflections. She has taken advantage of the technique both in her artistic and design work. First commercial lamps using the technique will be in serial production and launched in spring Taiviola works as a Senior lecturer in Aalto University School of Art, Design and Architecture. She also works as a freelance designer and since 2005 she has produced a collection of handmade glassware and jewelry under the name of SULA design. Taiviola has been active in showcasing her works both in Finland and internationally. Her works have recently been on display at several national and international art and design exhibitions and design fairs. Family heirlooms I, 2011 glass, aspen, led 40 x 27 x 27 cm

6 OUTI TURPEINEN Outi Turpeinen, Doctor of Arts (born 1971) is a visual artist and designer based in Luumäki, Finland. Turpeinen works mainly with spatial installations, where themes often concentrate on museum problematics and our past. Turpeinen completed her Masters of Arts degree in 1998 and defended her Doctor of Arts thesis in 2005 at the University of Art and Design Helsinki. She is a popular lecturer and multifaceted cultural producer who also does design work for restaurants, theatres and museums. The Finnish State and Vantaa City have her works in their collections. She currently teaches in Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture and Linnaeus University in Kalmar, Sweden. Turpeinen has been active exhibiting her works both in Finland and abroad since The integral themes of Turpeinen s work are memories, portraits, stories of the past and communality. She is interested in the interaction of history and today; how to place one s identity through history. During the past years she has developed her technique in serigraphy, printing manipulated images on glass. She was recently awarded with the Artist of the year prize which is nominated by The Finnish Association of Designers Ornamo. Woodwork and Carelian Heritage, part of an istallation, 2011 serigraphy on glass 14 x 1,7 m