Kati Tuominen-Niittylä (Finnish, b. 1947) is an internationally acclaimed ceramic artist living and working in Helsinki, Finland. Her elegant minimalist works blend multiple techniques with extraordinary skill alternating between wheel-throwing, casting, and hand-building with a prevalence of textured, carved surfaces. All of Tuominen-Niittylä's works are high-fired. Evoking archetypal silhouettes reminiscent of functional vessels such as buckets and basketry, as well as shapes found in nature, Tuominen-Niittylä creates objects that are refined and sophisticated yet with a rough plainness that is further emphasized by the earthy neutral hues. The objects appear almost ancient or geological. The interchanging of techniques also affords a uniqueness to each piece; it often leads to new details and finishes. Although the works are suggestive of ancient functional forms, Tuominen-Niittylä creates each piece purely with artistic purpose.
Tuominen-Niittylä studied at the Aalto University School of Arts, Architecture, and Design. She is a member of the Arabia Art Department Society and has designed for Arabia Studios. Her work is in the permanent collections of numerous public institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Finnish State Collections, and the Shigaraki Cultural Park Museum in Japan.
KATI TUOMINEN-NIITTYLÄ
b. 1947, Finland
EDUCATION
1976
University of Art and Design, Helsinki
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022
Galleria Duetto, Helsinki, Finland
2016
Gallery Officine Saffi, Milan, Italy
2011
Kuvia Immagini (Pictures Images), Officine Saffi, Milan, Italy
Galleri Inger Molin, Stockholm, Sweden
2008
Kaj Franck Design Prize, Gallery Modus, Tampere, Finland
2007
Kaj Franck Design Prize, Design Forum Finland, Helsinki, Finland
2003
Shadows, Alvar Aalto Museum Gallery, Jyväskylä, Finland
Galleri Inger Molin, Stockholm, Sweden
2001
Angle of Vision II, Arabia Museum Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
1998
Finsk Form, Malmö, Sweden
1997
Galleri Björnen, Stockholm, Sweden
1996
Angle of Vision, Arabia Museum Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
1993
Lawrence Gallery, Sheridan, OR
1990
Artek, Helsinki, Finland
1984
Arabia Museum Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
1982
Arabia-Nuutajärvi, Helsinki, Finland
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023–2024
Northern Latitude 60.20890: The Arabia Art Department Society’s 20th Anniversary Exhibition, Iittala & Arabia Design Center, Helsinki, Finland
2022
Vessels, Sized Studio, Los Angeles, CA
2019
A Thing of Beauty, Officine Saffi, Milan, Italy
2018
About Clay, Kuparipaja, Fiskars
2015
Contemporary Ceramics, Officine Saffi, Milan, Italy
Nine Seasons, Arabia Art Department, Finnish Embassy, Washington, DC
2014
Fat Clay, Gallery Marianne Heller, Heidelberg, Germany
Sato, Galleria Gumbostrand, Sipoo, Finland
The Ceramic Object, Galleri Format, Oslo, Norway
2013–2014
Arabia Art Department Tournament Exhibition, Japan
2013
Arabia Art Department Jubilee Exhibition, Galleria Arabia, Helsinki, Finland
Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Cheongju, South Korea
Pyhaniemi Summer Exhibition, Lahti, Finland
2012
Arabia’s Ninth Floor, Gallery Arabia, Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki Fat Clay, Fondazione Officine Saffi, Milan, Italy
Helsinki Fat Clay, Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche, Faenza, Italy
Flow Gallery, London, UK
2011
Gallery Angelo, Pori, Finland
Helsinki Art Fair, Helsinki, Finland
2010
Galerie Marianne Heller, Heidelberg, Germany
Keramikmuseum Westerwald, Höhr-Grenzhausen, Germany
2009
Signals, Gallery Flow, London, UK
Danske Keramisk Museum, Mitterfart, Denmark
Gallery Besson, London, UK
2008
Gallery Oljemark, Helsinki, Finland
Wanha Satama, Helsinki, Finland
2007
Gallery Goed Werk, Zulte, Belgium
2006
Septaria Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
Fiskars, Finland
Forum Box, Helsinki, Finland
2005
Scandinavian Stylish Design: Arabia Ware in Finland, The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, Shigaraki, Japan
2004
A Touch of Finland, Flow-Gallery, London, UK; Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK
Ceramics 2004, European Ceramics, Fiskars, Finland
Syvällä Savessa (Deep in the Clay), Finnish Handicraft Museum, Jyväskylä, Finland
Gallery Philippe Denys, Brussels, Belgium
2003
Retro, Fiskars, Finland
2002
Kosketuskohta (Touchpoint), Gallery Laterna Magica, Helsinki, Finland
2000
Arabia Artists in Retretti, Retretti Art Center, Punkaharju, Finland
Finnish Glass Lives 4, Glass Museum of Finland, Riihimäki, Finland
Keramik, Höganäs Museum, Höganäs, Sweden
Metamorphos, Lahti, Finland
Ten from Finland, Gallery Mokkumto, Seoul, South Korea
Viewpoints II, Arabia Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
Galleri Nørby, Copenhagen, Denmark
1999
Arabia 125 Years, Ambiente 1999, Frankfurt, Germany
The Nordic Transparency, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
1998
Finnish Design 10: The Turn of the Millennium, Design Forum Finland, Helsinki, Finland
Light and Shadow, The Mino Ceramic Festival, Tajimi, Japan
Savesta Syntynyt (Born from Clay), Fiskars, Finland
Exhibition of the Mino Ceramic Competition, Tajimi, Japan
Finnish Design Exhibition, Japan and US
Nikolai House Liukko, Keuruu, Finland
Nordic Ceramic Triennale, Sweden
1996–1997
Museum of Art and Design (touring exhibition), France
1996
Arabia Pro Arte Collection, Arabia, Helsinki, Tampere, Finland
Extra Trend Show, Frankfurt Fair, Frankfurt, Germany
Finland Designs, Museum of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland
Kerava Art Museum, Kerava, Finland
Nikolai House Liukko, Keuruu, Finland
1995
Design Finlandais, Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain, Nice, France
Joint Nordic Exhibition for Invited Artists, Gallery Lionet, Stockholm, Sweden
Centrum for Changing Exhibitions, Karlsruhe, Germany
Galleri Nørby, Copenhagen, Denmark
Hetjens-Museum, Düsseldorf, Germany; Keramikmuseum, Germany
1994
Arabia Pro Arte, Luum Galeri, Tallinn, Estonia
Gallery Bremer, Karkkila, Finland
Gallery Arioso, Stockholm, Sweden
1993
Arabia Pro Arte, Arabia, Helsinki, Finland
Gallery Maronie, Kioto, Japan
Third Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
1993–1994
From Dreams to Reality, Scandinavian-Baltic Touring Exhibition
1993
Finland Designs, Museum of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland
Group Six, Design Forum Finland, Helsinki, Finland
1992
A Little Thing, Båstad, Sweden
Art and Industry in Ceramics: Personal Statements in Clay by Nordic Artists and Designers, Museum of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland
Spring, Gallery Bellarte, Turku, Finland
The Pot, Design Forum Finland, Helsinki, Finland
1991
Arabia Pro Arte Collection, Arabia, Helsinki, Finland
Arabia Pro Arte Collection, Verkaranta, Tampere, Finland
Oslo International Ceramics Symposium: Research in Clay Art, Oslo, Norway
Six Ceramists from Finland, Seoul, South Korea
Thoughts in Clay, Gallery Pictor, Nummela, Finland
1990
East Meets North, Posio, Finland
Lidköping Craft and Maritime Museum, Sweden
Galleria Johans, Porvoo, Finland
1989
Finland Designs, Museum of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland
1989–1990
Actualité de la Ceramique Européenne (touring exhibition), France
Scandinavian Ceramics and Glass, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
1988
Arabia Pro Arte Collection, Arabia, Helsinki
Arabia Pro Arte Collection, Verkaranta, Tampere, Finland
1987–1988
Zeitgenössisches Deutsches und Fnnisches Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt and Hannover, Germany; Helsinki, Finland (touring exhibition)
1987
Finland Designs, Museum of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland
Gallery Otso, Espoo, Finland
1985
Finland Designs, Museum of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland
Lidköping Craft and Maritime Museum, Sweden
Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Faenza, Italy
Tampere Museum of Contemporary Art, Tampere, Finland (touring exhibition)
The American-Scandinavian Foundation, New York, NY
1984
Galerie Grafiart, Turku, Finland
NK, Stockholm, Sweden
1983
Finland Designs, Museum of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland
1982
Unikate Finnischer Künstler (Unique Pieces by Finnish Artists), Düsseldorf; Frankfurt, Germany
Illums Bolighus, Copenhagen, Denmark
Stockmann, Helsinki, Finland
1981
Finland Designs, Museum of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland
1979
Rakennuskeramiikkaa (Building Ceramics), Finnish Design Center, Helsinki, Finland
1978
The Bowl, Vientitalo, Helsinki, Finland
PUBLIC INSTALLATIONS
2021
Wall Brick Installation, National Theatre Restoration (with Pekka Paikkari)
2005
Gekko, Kamppi, Helsinki (with Pekka Paikkari & Kristina Riska)
SELECTED AWARDS
2007
Kaj Franck Design Prize
2002
Gold Medal, Mino, Japan
1998
Grand Prix, Mino, Japan
Honorary Mention, Mino, Japan
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Arabia Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Finnish State Collections
Handelsbanken, Sweden
Hetjens Museum, Dusseldorf, Germany
Höganäs Museum, Höganäs, Sweden
Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
Mino's New Ceramics Museum, Tajimi, Gifu, Japan
Museum of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden
New Ceramic Museum, Tajimi, Gifu, Japan
Pohjola Companies, Helsinki, Finland
Röhsska Museet, Gothenburg, Sweden
Seoul Design Museum, Seoul, South Korea
Shigaraki Cultural Park Museum, Japan
Statens Konstråd, Sweden
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Ulster Museum, Belfast, UK
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
Wihuri Foundation Collections
