In ancient times, a mighty matron was buried covered in her cloak of shimmering bronze spiral ornaments, with a magnificent tablet-woven belt around her waist. Almost a thousand years later, as a result of the collaboration of archaeologists' research and craftsmen's skills, ancient costumes tell the story of the magnificent clothing and skilful craftsmanship of the Iron Age.

Showcasing the skills of a strong woman, Kirsti Rantanen – The Space of Textiles tells the story of a pioneering woman's career as an open-minded innovator in textile art. Kirsti Rantanen (1930–2020) was one of Finland’s leading textile artists and designers of the 20th century. Her oeuvre reflects the changes that began in Finnish textile art in the 1970s and in which she was instrumental.

The exhibition Wood in Interior Design presents new, modern and professionally designed and manufactured interior solutions created through Pro Puu ry’s project, which have been created using various techniques and wood materials. The exhibition is on display in the Lobby Gallery of the Craft Museum of Finland on 22.5.–29.8.2021. 

The upcoming year 2021 brings flamboyant colours, circle economy, and Finnish as well as international talent to the Craft Museum of Finland. The exhibition year includes both the museum’s own productions as well as both big and small-scale collaboration exhibitions. The central theme for the exhibition year is sustainable development, which is examined from many perspectives through crafts and design. For the fall temporary exhibition, the Craft Museum of Finland will even calculate the overall carbon footprint of the exhibition’s entire production process. 

The Design with Nature exhibition showcases the newest works of Miia Suojala Design. Miia Suojala who is a clothes designer and a Bachelor of Fashion and Clothing, started her company in Jyväskylä in 2006 and now the 15-year-old company is celebrating the milestone with their celebratory collection: NOLLAko?

The Treasures of the Bazars exhibition in the Craft Museum of Finland showcases traditional textiles and jewellery from Morocco to Tibet from the collections of collector Tuomas Sopanen. Nomadism and traditions appear clearly in these consumer textiles and decorations.

The Come and Go installation consists of portrait slippers by visual artist Leena Illukka. She has applied hand embroidery in a new way and breaks the traditional way of presenting portraits in her personal and caricature portraits. In her art, Illukka often creates a series of stories that focus on the individual and the individual’s relationship with the society. 

The exhibition by an internationally known designer, Ilona Rista, showcases new kind of Finnish wood culture. The wood artist’s playful approach to digital materials has produced a fun, yet serious collection of material and immaterial works that combine wood art with technology. The exhibition will be held at the Craft Museum of Finland’s Lobby Gallery 12 September–5 December 2020. 

What does the past of handicrafts look like in the eyes of modern designers, and what kind of inspiration can be drawn from the collection at the museum? The designers invited to the In Good Hands exhibition have had the chance to explore the extensive archives, founded in 1879, of the Friends of Finnish Handicraft at the Design Museum. After this they have created their works in dialogue with the archive materials. 

2020 Exhibitions at the Craft Museum of Finland celebrate craftsmanship from many perspectives. The exhibitions focus on Finnish textile expertise but are complemented by delicious finesses from the miniature world and traditional woodworking.  The exhibitions feature internationally renowned designers and craftsmen to celebrate the free movement of ideas and thoughts in the crafts world. Technology and even game design have been added alongside many traditional skills, giving new insights into techniques already forgotten.

The My Forest exhibition, created in collaboration with the Finnish Crafts Organization Taito, presents the Finnish people’s relationship with forests, wood as a material, and the forest as a space – not forgetting crafts, naturally. The exhibition will be at the 2nd-floor auditorium of the Craft Museum of Finland from 3 June to 30 August 2020, at CraftCorner  in Helsinki 4–29 September 2020, and at the Pro Puu Gallery in Lahti in 3–30 October 2020. . 

The joint exhibition of four famous Finnish textile artists Ariadna Donner, Soile Hovila, Aino Kajaniemi and Inka Kivalo in Craft Museum of Finland 4.1.-17.5.2020 brings out the variety of modern tapestries beautifully. The tapestries in the exhibition represent different techniques, approaches and styles according to their artists.

A fresh breeze from France arrives at the Craft Museum of Finland in the autumn 2019 when a group of Normandy artisans, Élan de créateurs, present their works in two exhibitions. 11 artisans from different fields bring such contemporary handcraft and design to the museum as ceramics, textile creations, jewelry, works from recycled materials and art handcraft. The colorful and playful sales exhibitions include traditional techniques as well as inventive new ways of using the materials. 

Exhibitions of 2019

Exhibitions of 2019 in the Craft Museum of Finland explore the possibilities of materials and the relationship with nature. 

The atmosphere of the exhibition year 2019 in the Craft Museum of Finland is international. Different exhibitions present the possibilities of materials, ponder the future and dive into the Finnish relationship with nature. Ancient handicraft techniques, carefully made works with strong identities as well as humorous objects are seen during the year. 
 

Ville Heimala ∙ Katri-Maria Huhtakallio ∙ Aura Kajas ∙ Tiia Matikainen ∙ Lotta Mattila

We tend to have a great desire to compare our qualities and characteristics with animals. The five sculptors of The Other Nature of Ceramics exhibition bring out their personal relationship with nature and art making as well as tell about their thoughts behind their works. They observe the surrounding nature and interpret it sculpturally through ceramics.