As a cultural institute, the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak have a direct influence on everything we do. Many organisations and artists we work with are directly affected and face uncertain times. Exhibitions, festivals, fairs and all sorts of events and jobs have been cancelled and the cultural agenda will be disrupted for quite a while, putting a financial and operational strain on a lot of players in the broad cultural field. With all calendars emptied and plans changed, we want to help our community in a different way. Over the coming weeks, we’ll use our social media and website as a platform for culture, sharing and highlighting things we think you should know of. Artists we have worked with, interesting reads, organisations or venues we have collaborated with, our cultural favourites and tips, etc.
We encourage you to click, discover, enjoy, support and stick together in these unreal times.
Hanna has selected 5 Finnish floral artists who are definitely worth checking out.
Hanna Piippo is a floral artist born in Helsinki, trained in New York and now based in Stockholm. She specialises in flower arrangements, installations and workshops. Her client portfolio includes NK, Filippa K and Iittala. Together with the latter, she hosts weekly online Instagram Live workshops at the moment on how to combine your Iittala vases and pots with the nicest floral arrangements. Hanna has also written a book on the topic, together with Elinor Tilander. “Flower Power, konsten att lyckas med blommor och buketter” was published in 2018. This year, Hanna went back to school and started studying ecological gardening, a perfect addition to her way of working with flowers.
Kreetta Järvenpää is a multidisciplinary artist who has become known for her beautiful flower, food and portrait photography. The use of natural light in her work creates authentic dreamy images. In her own words she’s a storyteller, which indeed shines through her works and engages the viewer. In addition to photography, she hosts flower-themed workshops and makes ceramics, and handmade props.
Studio Viivi is the Helsinki-based floral design studio by Viivi Valkeeniemi, celebrating the natural beauty of flowers through thoughtful, powerful compositions. Catering to floral needs in all fields, Viivi’s style is colourful, sculptural and wild. She often combines unexpected colours and textures in one arrangement. Specialising in contemporary creations, Studio Viivi offers services from flower styling & art direction to bespoke arrangements and event design.
Laura Väinölä’s skill set is quite versatile to say the least. A prime example of a new-generation designer, she wears many hats. From creative direction, graphic design, event production, advertising, and more: creative ideas are always the starting point, and the means in which these are expressed van vary. At the moment, her main focus goes to Art Direction at Marimekko. Under the name ‘Flora & Laura’ she works on unique flower stylings big and small, whether for photographs, big public dos or private banquets. As she says it, flowers are nature’s way of saying “I love you” and this is her way to spread the love.
Vieno Motors is a project by artist Ilona Valkonen, and can be described as an anarcho-floral performance. During the performance, artists combine flowers and greenery with other materials. The combination between the botanical elements and electrical wire, pipes, waste, etc. creates fantastical, out-there compositions. For Ilona, flowers have always been important. She remembers the smell vividly, and how she would bike to the flower shop on her own for a fresh bouquet.