Kristina Riska (Finnish, b. 1960) is one of Scandinavia’s foremost contemporary ceramic artists who has been defying and redefining long-standing precepts of the medium since the 1980s. With nature as her inspiration, her large-scale ethereal vessels explore the interplay of light and shadow as well as demonstrate her meticulous and physically rigorous approach. Although monumental in scale, the thin walls reflect her astute hand apparent upon close inspection of the refined and subtle surface textures and glazing techniques. Riska’s work is also imbued with her intuitive manipulation of the clay where each is an unplanned foray into the unknown as she establishes a non-physical state of mind, an “internal space” that draws upon qualities of quietude, serenity and concentration as well as specific memories of light and shade, which then gives way to the kiln. Her gravity defying forms are therefore each ingrained with the artist’s presence, tangible aspects of her own self.
Riska studied at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture and is senior member of the Arabia Art Department Society in Helsinki. She has exhibited widely and has been recognized with prestigious accolades, including the State’s Suomi Prize in 1995 and a silver medal at the International Ceramic Contest in Mino, Japan in 2002.
KRISTINA RISKA
Born 1960, Finland
EDUCATION
1986-87 Guest artist at Arabia Factory
1985 Trainee at Studio Bente Hansen, Copenhagen
1985 Assistant for Minni Lukander at Arabia
1984 Trainee at Arabia Factory
1979-84 Helsinki University of Art and Design
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2019 Design Miami / Basel, Hostler Burrows, Basel, Switzerland
Collect, Hostler Burrows, Saatchi Gallery, London
FOG Design + Art, Hostler Burrows, San Francisco, CA
2018 Design Miami, Hostler Burrows, Miami, FL
Salon Art + Design, Hostler Burrows, New York, NY
Hostler Burrows, New York, NY
Galleri Format, Oslo, Norway
Design Miami / Basel, Hostler Burrows, Basel, Switzerland
The Line, Lokal, Helsinki, Finland
2017 Design Miami, Hostler Burrows, Miami, FL
Salon Art + Design, Hostler Burrows, New York, NY
Design Miami / Basel, Hostler Burrows, Basel, Switzerland
FOG Design + Art, Hostler Burrows, San Francisco, CA
2016 Design Miami, Hostler Burrows, Miami, FL
Salon of Art + Design, Hostler Burrows, New York, NY
Expo Chicago, Hostler Burrows, Chicago, IL
Design Miami / Basel, Hostler Burrows, Basel, Switzerland
Winter Antiques Show, Hostler Burrows, New York, NY
2015 Design Miami, Hostler Burrows, Miami, FL
Expo Chicago, Hostler Burrows, Chicago, IL
Design Miami / Basel, Hostler Burrows, Basel, Switzerland
Kristina Riska: New Work, Hostler Burrows, New York, NY
2014 Design Miami, Hostler Burrows, Miami, FL
Six Women, Hostler Burrows, New York, NY
2012 Arabia 9th floor, Helsinki
2011 Gallery Angelo, Pori
Gallery För Bord Dukning, Copenhagen, Denmark
2010 Gallery Inger Molin, Stockholm, Sweden
Westerwald Ceramic Museum, Germany
Gallery Marianne Heller, Heidelberg, Germany
2009 Collection exhibition, Espoo Museum of Modern Art
Arabia Gallery, Helsinki
Ceramic Museum Grimmeshus, Denmark
2008 Gallery Oljemark, Helsinki
Gallery Kaj Forsblom, Helsinki
Musee Des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, France
2007 4+ Arthall, Luxemburg
4+ Arthall, Bruxelles, Belgium
Gallery Inger Molin, Stockholm, Sweden
Forum Box, Helsinki
2006 Private exhibition, Design-Museum, Helsinki
Transformations, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia
2005 Schikaragi, Japan
Design-Museum together with Paula Winokur and Margaret West
2004 European Ceramics, Fiskars
Q-exhibition, Fiskars
Matter and Spirit, Jyväskylä
Gallery Philippe Denys, Bruxelles, Belgium
2003 Nordic Cool, Washington, USA
Q-exhibition, Tokyo, Japan
2002 The International Ceramics Exhibition, Mino, Japan
Arabia Gallery, Helsinki
Poetics of Clay, Design-Museum, Helsinki
2001 Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Cheongju, Korea
Poetics of Clay, Philadelphia, USA
Private Exhibition with Dörte Behm, Rheine, Germany
2000 Blue, Scandinavian exhibition, Ceramic Museum Grimmeshus, Denmark
The First Nordic Ceramic Triennale, Berlin, Germany
Retretti Art Center, Punkaharju
Private exhibition with painter Tiina Heiska, Gallery Johan S., Helsinki
Gallery Pictor, Vihti
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS, CONTINUED
1999 Lahti Art Museum
1998 Finnish Design, Design Forum, Helsinki
1997 Five Women, Design Forum, Helsinki
1996 Private exhibition, Arabia Gallery, Helsinki
1993 Ceramic Art 1993, Art Museum Lappeenranta
Different, Museum of Modern Art, Helsinki
1992 Art and Industry, Design-Museum, Helsinki
1991 Thoughts in Clay, Gallery Pictor, Vihti
Ceramic Art 1991, Art Museum Lappeenranta
Designers under the Spotlight, Kaapelihalli, Helsinki
Private exhibition together with Kimmo Friman, Gallery Kluuvi, Helsinki
1990 Three Ceramics, Gallery Johan S., Porvoo
Design Museum, Helsinki
1989 Thirteen rooms, Gallery Wanha Satama, Helsinki
1988 Touch, Arthall, Taidehalli, Helsinki
1987 Light and Matter, City’s Art Museum, Helsinki
Metaxis, Design Museum, Helsinki
Private exhibition Fragile Time, Arabia Gallery, Helsinki
1986 Gallery Bronda, Helsinki
Arabia Gallery, Helsinki
1985 Arabia Gallery, Helsinki
1984 Design Museum, Helsinki
AWARDS AND GRANTS
2008 Honorary Award, Mino, Japan
2007 Finnish Cultural Foundation
2006 The State of Finland Art Commissions, working grant
for 5 years
2003 Finnish Cultural Foundation, working grant for 3 years
2002 Silver medal, Mino, Japan
1998 Honorary award- Finnish Design 10 exhibition
1997 The State of Finland Central Commission for the Arts,
working grant for 5 years
1995 Suomi-prize
D’Oro medal, Faenza, Italy
1994 The State of Finland Art Commissions, working grant for 1 year
1992 Finnish Cultural Foundation
1991 The State of Finland Art Commissions, working grant for 1/2 years
PROJECTS
2011 Jury member in International Ceramics Competition, Mino, Japan
2010 Visiting teacher at School of Architecture, University of Illinois
Stonefloor at Kuopio Prison
2005 GEKKO sculpture at Kamppi Metro Station, together with Kati
Tuominen-Niittylä and Pekka Paikkari
KoKo-dish for Arabia, together with Kati Tuominen-Niittylä
2004 ”Northern Latitude”- sculpture at Olympic Park and Ceramics
and Sculpture, Athens
1993 Visiting teacher at University College of Arts, Crafts and Design
(Konstfack), Stockholm
MEMBERSHIPS
Arabia Art Department Society
Finnish Art Association
Ornamo
IAC International Academy for Ceramics
COLLECTIONS
Finland’s state
Sweden’s state
City of Helsinki
Ulster Museum, Belfast, Ireland
Wayne State College, Minnesota, USA
Design Museum Helsinki
Gifu Museum, Japan
Saastamoinen Foundation
