Syntyminen (Birth)

Birth marks a pivotal milestone in my artistic journey—a decade-long immersion into the medium of glass. The exhibition addresses personal yet universal thresholds of human existence, reflecting the recurring transformation into a woman, a daughter, a friend, an artist, and ultimately, one’s authentic self. At its core, the project examines the inevitability of surrender: for anything new to emerge, a part of the past must undergo a small, necessary death.

Drawing inspiration from folklore, fairy tales, and the mythical arcs of the Kalevala, the exhibition constructs an allegory of the Hero’s Journey. In every mythology, the archetype faces crisis, undergoes painful surrender, and is fundamentally transformed. For me, the laborious and unpredictable process of glassmaking mirrors this exact cycle. The physical process of creation—with all its risks and failures—is far more vital than the static object. Yet, the final artworks remain as vessels carrying inherited knowledge, years of technical experimentation, and deep psychological inquiry.

Four interlinked installation series lead the viewer through the spatial geography of loss and rebirth. Birth utilizes complex graal techniques alongside blown and sand-cast glass to conceal inner letters that capture precise moments of necessary rebirth. Stones Along the Path fuses raw natural stone with cold-worked glass to embody the physical weight of memories, while Tales of Breathing Together presents intricately carved and gilded glass-ceramic whistle-sculptures exploring intimacy and shared breath. The spatial arc culminates in The Final Wall, an installation that synthesizes the exhibition's themes through meticulous detail, quietly asking what truly remains of a lived life after everything else is stripped away. Ultimately, Birth is a declaration of exposure, acknowledging that walking onto new paths requires the willingness to let the old self shatter.