Proudly presenting Finnish contemporary jewelry at Design Shanghai 2021 - in Shanghai!

FINNISH CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY PRESENTED FOR THE FIRST TIME AT ASIA’S BIGGEST DESIGN FAIR IN SHANGHAI, 3-6 JUNE 2021!

Works of 18 Finnish jewelry artists and designers will be exhibited in one of the world's most prestigious international design events in Asia, at Design Shanghai 2021 held June 3–6, in a project funded by SKR (Finnish Cultural Foundation), Frame Art Finland, Korutaideyhdistys ry and Gallery GAo ShAn. Finnish contemporary jewelry has not been exhibited in China on this scale previously.

The theme for our participation is Natural. Aesthetic and Timeless, focusing on the essence of contemporary Finnish jewelry. Iittala is the only other Finnish design company represented in Asia’s biggest design fair according to the event’s website at https://www.designshanghai.com/exhibitors. Our location in Shanghai is: World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, Objects & Accessories Design Hall, Stand: T202.

This participation is about raising the overall profile of Finland in China, from introducing Finnish jewelry history to putting on display the special characteristics of current, highly talented Finnish jewelry artists and designers. What perhaps makes Finnish contemporary jewelry creations special is the combination of artistry and craft skills they encapsulate. The meaning of contemporary jewelry emerges from the interaction triangle of the wearer, the audience and the jewelry creation in question.

Most of the artists are well known either in Finland, while some are even better known internationally. The artists are Aino Favén, Elina Honkanen, Harri Syrjänen, Heli Kauhanen, Inni Pärnänen, Jaana Junkkaala, Janna Syvänoja, Juhani Heikkilä, Kirsti Doukas, Kristian Saarikorpi, Matti Mattsson, Melitina Balabin, Nikolai Balabin, Tarja Ahola, Tarja Tuupanen, Terhi Tolvanen, Tuija Hietanen and Wiebke Pandikow. For short artist bios scroll to the bottom of this page.

”This participation was set to happen at Design Shanghai 2020 but I am happy it is possible to bring this project into completion in these extraordinary circumstances. Thankfully we have managed to get this far despite some unexpected obstacles on the way. At least there has been more time to refine the concept for this physical event participation,” says curator Ding Yi, in Shanghai to complete the project that has been more than two years in the making.

“Hopefully the Chinese visitors can benefit from the close-up view and form some ideas about Finnish life philosophy,” Yi adds.

The Finnish contemporary jewelry display at Design Shanghai 2021 is divided into three parts: contemporary art jewelry, contemporary design jewelry and Mid-Century Modern jewelry.

The purpose of the participation in Design Shanghai is to attract professionals and the public to the qualities of Finnish contemporary jewelry - while promoting the visibility of Finnish jewelry and the international success of Finnish jewelry artists - in China.

Short bios of artists displayed at Design Shanghai 2021

Aino Favén paints silk and connects it with other materials. The abstract expression tells the story of Finnish nature.

Elina Honkanen‘s brooches have a precious antique atmosphere yet they are modern acrylic. The form points to history but the way of execution is modern.

Harri Syrjänen is Finnish master goldsmith, jewelry and leather artist whose works are highly narrative craft pieces. The important thing for Harri is to establish harmony between the idea, the form, materials and function.

Heli Kauhanen’s works are inspired by the natural environment, wind, and movement. It pleases her to spice up her jewelry designs with a pinch of luxury from time to time. The cornerstones of her jewelry are quality, durability, and everyday beauty. The majority are made using precious silver and titanium, stones, and glass. She is a Regional Artist in jewelry arts and the jewelry designer for Finnish First Lady Jenni Haukio.

Inni Pärnänen is a Helsinki-based artist and jewelry designer who has widened her practice through prestigious opportunities into other realms of design and art. “Kesä” interior element can be applied to the partitioning of spaces or used even as a relief to decorate a space. The material used is sustainable Grada birch plywood. Three-dimensionality and a strong emphasis on structure are characteristic of her works that can be found in many publications and private and public collections.

Jaana Junkkaala lives on a small seaside island in Helsinki. Her jewelry and personality have merged with the waves of the Baltic Sea. Most of her design inspiration comes from childhood memories and milestones in life.

Janna Syvänoja is one of the most internationally recognized jewelry artists from Finland. Her work is sculptural and light with eternal forms – made out of hundreds of thin sheets of paper. Even though the craft plays an important role, the meaning and content of the piece is in focus.

In Juhani Heikkilä‘s artwork you often see a human being in various manifestations. A human is an eternal and intriguing subject, always renewable. Sleeping face is carved from wood and it tells us thousands of stories.

Kirsti Doukas is a Finnish goldsmith and jewelry designer. She is the former Head of Design at Kalevala Jewelry. Her design collections for the jewelry industry consist of unique pieces that often cross the line between art and design. Merging jewelry design with new technologies is her current focus. The "Dekadenz" series of jewelry will be presented at Design Shanghai 2021.

Kristian Saarikorpi is a Finnish goldsmith and jewelry designer who won the Goldsmith of the Year in Finland in 2005. He is recognized as an extremely skilled goldsmith who has mastered both traditional working skills and computer-assisted working methods.

Matti Mattsson ‘s career began in the 1970s and he was using recycled materials before that term game into general discussion. His playful style is his trademark. Whether it has been a piece of an old aeroplane or a shoe heel from the street, he has been able to turn it into a piece of jewelry or an art object.

Nikolai Balabin tells stories with his jewelry pieces, often with materials like dramatic black jet and eternal amber. His daughter Melitina Balabin connects driftwood with gemstones and metal parts into delicate wearable compositions.

Tarja Ahola works with recycled glass and resin. She works with the transparency of the material creating a kind of locket necklace, a small attracting treasure with silver setting.

Tarja Tuupanen is a material based artist who works mostly with stone. The theme and the material always go hand in hand. White marble is sliced and re-formed into wearable, yet heavy, forms.

Terhi Tolvanen ‘s works can be found in many galleries around the world. Her exceptional style is recognizable. Nature as wild nature and nature as man made controlled surrounding is a recurring theme in her work.

Tuija Hietanen creates characters from glass beads. One by one they are stitched together with time demanding repetition. Individual glass beads molt together into one flexible considered form.

Wiebke Pandikow makes delicate and beautifully light wooden necklaces from which sensitive white flowers are growing. The wood comes from the sea, the white flowers are made from plastic bags which too often end up in our seas too. The beautiful item can be a doorway into a serious conversation about nature and the role of human interventions with it.