Mitro Härkönen/Ornamo Art and Design Finland, courtesy Ornamo Magazine
Marianne Huotari (Finnish, b. 1986) crafts delicate ceramic wall rugs and glazed stoneware sculptures using a reimagined version of the traditional Finnish textile technique ryijy. "Ryijy" translates to thick cloth, and refers to a method of loom weaving tapestries, often depicting geometric shapes or florals, in colors traditionally sourced from plant dyes. Through a care-intensive process of craftsmanship, Huotari sculpts hundreds of oblong ceramic beads and petals by hand before sewing them onto a metal frame with wire. The beads layer and bubble at will, similar to the woven knots in ryijy. Her color palate mimics that of the original woolen fibers; creams and light greens alongside pinks and muted blues populate her tapestries and free-standing sculptures. The presence of nature and whimsy is a mainstay, whether referentially in titles such as Garden Plot, or representationally in the shape of small adorning flowers.
Mitro Härkönen/Ornamo Art and Design Finland, courtesy Ornamo Magazine
Huotari’s slow and hands-on process allows her to pause the rapidity of daily life and find a meditative rhythm in the act of creating. Due to the laborious nature of each work, her stamina for a piece must carry on for weeks to months at a time. She approaches each item she creates with tenderness, whether it be a bead passing through her fingers or a wall hanging requiring countless hours of stitching. Her final forms exude a warm consciousness and feeling of delight, much like the artist herself.
Huotari lives and works in Helsinki, where she is a member of the Arabia Art Department Society. Her work has been shown widely in Finland, as well as throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. Her collection Väre was made in collaboration with the Finnish National Museum. Huotari serves as the Creative Director for Helsinki-based design and rug company Finarte. In 2022, Huotari was shortlisted for the Loewe Craft Prize and her work was exhibited at the Seoul Museum of Craft Arts.
MARIANNE HUOTARI
b. 1986, Finland
EDUCATION
2014
MA, Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Aalto, Finland
2009
BA in Design, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Kuopio Academy of Design, Kuopio, Finland
2008
Exchange Studies, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022
Hiljaiselo (Quiet Life), Doinel, Tokyo, Japan
2021
Kukkatori (Flower Market), Doinel, Tokyo, Japan
2020
Kasvukausi (Growing Season), Konst & Form, Sipoo, Finland
2019
Orangeria: The Ceramic Garden of Infinite Summer, Mustakivi, Matsuyama, Japan
2018
Kotiseutu (Home): The Spirit of Roots, Spiral, Tokyo, Japan
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
Paratiisi (Paradise), Kuopio Art Museum, Kuopio, Finland
2023
Atelier Life, Hvitträsk National Museum of Finland, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Clay Protagonists, Rvnhus, Kolding, Denmark
Narrative Threads, Scandinavia House, New York, NY
Northern Latitude 60.20890: Arabia Art Department Society’s 20th Anniversary Exhibition, Iittala & Arabia Design Centre, Helsinki, Finland
Strange Friends, Make Hauser & Wirth, London, United Kingdom
2022
Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, Seoul Museum, Seoul, South Korea
Next of Europe, Homo Faber Biennial, Michelangelo Foundation, Venice, Italy
Summer Group Show, HB381, New York, NY
2021
Growth, OHO Galleria, Helsinki, Finland
Here, There, and Everywhere, Hiljaiselo, Doinel, Tokyo, Japan
Kantava Maa – Solid Ground, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
On the Edge – Äärellä, Rovaniemi Art Museum, Rovaniemi, Finland
Pinta (Surface), Purnu, Orivesi, Finland
Saviseremonia (Clay Ceremony), Muji, Helsinki, Finland
Seilunmaisema (Soulscape), Glasshouse, Helsinki, Finland
The International Ceramic Festival Mino: From You, From Now, From Here, Gifu, Japan
2020
HDW: Stadium Exhibition, Helsinki, Finland
Matkalla (En Route), Kulttuuihalli, Helsinki, Finland
Sato: Savenkorjuun Aika (Harvest: Clay Harvesting Time), Muji, Helsinki, Finland
Wall Art from Finland, Doinel, Tokyo, Japan
2019
Gifts from Finland, Spiral, Tokyo, Japan
Joulun Harsomaa, Himmelblau, Tampere, Finland
Paratiisin Salaisuus (The Secret of Paradise), Iittala & Arabia Design Center, Helsinki, Finland
Vieno: Hiljainen Harmonia (Silent Harmony), Vellikello Gallery, Järvenpää, Finland
2018
Pistot (Stings), Craft Corner, Helsinki, Finland
What the Hel from Finland, Vancouver, Canada
2017
Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Cheongju, South Korea
Finland 100: Now and Then, Beirut, Lebanon
Käsityön Äärellä: Elävä Käsityökulttuuri (On the Edge of Handicraft: A Living Handicraft Culture), Craft Corner, Helsinki, Finland
Signals, Habitare, Helsinki, Finland
2016
Pinnalla Touring Exhibition, Jyväskylä, Kokkola, Helsinki, and Punkaharju, Finland
Yhes, Lokal, Helsinki, Finland
PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
2022
Ja Niin Mina Kukoistan, Ministry of Education and Culture, The Finnish State Art Collection
2019
Suven Sulot, Lapuan Kankurit Store, Tokyo, Japan
Yunnan, Yunnan Restaurant, Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore
2018
Colored Landscapes, Kyo-Ondokoro Inn, Kyoto, Japan
AWARDS AND GRANTS
2024
NYCxDESIGN Award, New York, NY
Taito-Finlandia Award, Finland
2022
Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, Finalist, Spain
2021
Officine Saffi Award 4, Residence Prize, Italy
2015
Ryijypalvelu Oy Textile Tapestry Competition, First Prize, Finland
2013
Poukama Design Competition, Finland
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art
Finnish State Art Collection
