Päivi Kekäläinen
Born 1961 Kontiolahti, Finland.
An artist, glass maker, occasional glass instructor, and graphic designer. Her glasswork has been exhibited both in Finland and internationally. Lives and works in Helsinki – when not in Northern Carelia.
Education
1992–1997 Postgraduate studies. The University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH (current Aalto University), Finland.
1984–1991 University of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland. Master of Arts 1991.
1981–1984 Handicrafts and Industrial Arts School, Joensuu, Finland; Cabinetmaker
Glass workshops / additional education
2005 Aug Bullseye Masterclass on kiln forming / Klaus Moje, North Lands Creative Glass, Scotland.
1991 May Pâte de verre and glass fusing / James Watkins. Pilchuck Glass School, WA, USA.
1990 Jul Lampworking / Paul Stankard. Pilchuck Glass School, WA, USA.
1989 Apr Pâte de verre / Diana Hobson. Sheridan College, Toronto, Canada.
Works at museums and collections
The State Art Collection of Finland
The Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki
The University of Art and Design Helsinki (current Aalto University)
Glasmuseum, Ebeltoft, Denmark
Handelsbankens Konstförening, Sweden
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden
Private collections in Finland, Sweden, Germany, and England.
Selected solo and private exhibitions
Solo
1997 Riite. Näyttelyhuone Klobben, Helsinki, Finland
1995 Glas i pâte de verre. Arioso, Stockholm, Sweden
1992 MA graduate work, pâte de verre, Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland
1989 Syvissä Vesissä. Kontiolahti, Finland
Private
2015 Olomuotoja – Skepnader. Johanna Suonpää ja Päivi Kekäläinen. Textile and glass. O galleria, Helsinki.
2011 Olennaisia – Essential. Ceramic and glass art. Päivi Kekäläinen & Riitta Talonpoika, Galleria Johan S., Helsinki, Finland
2002, 2003, 2004 Hajavaloa / Hajutatud Valgus / Diffused light I–III. Liisa Ikävalko, Päivi Kekäläinen, Esko Kurvinen, Riikka Latva-Somppi, Anna Schroderus.
Design Museum, Tallinn, Estonia 2004. Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland 2003. Järvenpää Hall, Järvenpää, Finland 1002.
1994 Suhteellista. Päivi Kekäläinen, Mirja Niemelä, Raino Ranta and Riitta Talonpoika. INTO-gallery, Helsinki
Selected exhibitions since 2000
2015 Suomen lasi elää 7 Finnish glass lives. Suomen lasimuseo, Riihimäki.
2014 2D →. Vilna and Jurbarkas, Lithuania; Pӓrnu, Estonia; Riika, Latvia.
2011–2015 Finnish Glass Art 2005–2010. National Museum, Ljubljana, Slovenia;
design factory, Bratislava, Slovakia; Musée du Verre, Carmaux, France; Glashütte Gernheim, Germany; Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, Tallinn, Estonia;
Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Riga, Latvia.*
2006–09 New Finnish Glass Art / L’art du verre finlandais 2000–2005. Conseil Général de Meurthe et Moselle, Nancy, France; Musée du verre Carmaux, France; Muzeum Naradowe we Wroclaw, Poland; Stichting Nationaal Glasmuseum Leerdam, Netherlands; Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art Istanbul, Turkey; Museum of Decorative Art and Design, Riga, Latvia; Banska Bystrica, Slovakia,Kosice, Slovakia.*
2005 Particle Theories: International Pate de Verre and Other Cast Glass Granulations. Museum of American Glass, Wheaton Village, NJ, U.S.A.
2004–05 Oblåst. (fused glass, focus on pâte de verre) Västergötlands Museum, Skara; Smålands Museum & Sveriges Glasmuseum, Växjö; Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden; Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland.
2001–03 Faszination Glas – Tendenzen in der finnischen Glaskunst. Germany*
2001–03 Finlandia – Vanguardia en Vidrio. Spain, Portugal, Mexico.*
2001 Tallinn Applied Art Triennial. Tallin Art Hall, Tallinn, Estonia.
2001 Finnish Glass. Fundacion centre nacional del vidrio, La Granja, Espanja.*
2000–02 Nordic Glass 2000. Den Nordatlantiske Brygge, Copenhagen, Denmark; Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland; Tallinn Art Hall, Tallinn, Estonia; The Museum of Applied-Decorative Art, Riga, Latvia; M.K. Ciurlionis Art Museum, Kaunas, Lithuania; Fossekleiva Brukssentter, Bergen in Svelnik County, Norway.
* traveling exhibition by the Finnish Glass Museum.
Professional experience
Since 2001 Self-Employed Design Professional: graphic, exhibition, and web design (design, production, and maintenance of websites, multimedia), etc.
Since 1991 Glass Artist, focus on pâte de verre and fusing
Positions
2008–2012 Researcher (substitute) over several periods, 2004–2005 Exhibition secretary, The Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki
1998–2001 Helsingin Sanomat Internet Edition, graphic designer (layout, html, illustration, multimedia) HS is the main newspaper in Finland.
1994–97 Researcher, project designer, and planner over several periods. Dept. of Ceramic and Glass Design, UIAH
1993 Research Assistant, Institute for Research, UIAH
Teaching, collaboration
Since 1989 Glass instructor. Workshops and short courses especially on kiln work: UIAH; Rovaniemi Institute of Industrial Art and Handicrafts; Keracomp Inc; Häme Polytechnic / Wetterhoff School of Crafts and Design; Lahti Polytechnic; Eesti Kunstakadeemia, Tallinn; Bifrost Studio Glass (Birkerød, Denmark), Kankaanpää Institute, several adult education centers, etc.
2000–2003 The Nordic Glass 2000. Together with Liisa Ikävalko and Anna Schroderus: the exhibition coordinators in Finland, arranging "Glass Get-togethers" in Finland in 2001 (Suomenlinna, Helsinki) and 2003 (Riihimäki), exhibition architects at The Finnish Glass Museum in 2001.
1998 June. 1st International Glass Workshop for Women, artistic director, teacher. Häme Polytechnic / Wetterhoff School of Crafts and Design.
1990 Pâte de verre workshop assistant for visiting artist Diana Hobson. UIAH.
1994 May. Erasmus exchange teacher, Sunderland University, England
Writings and publications (own)
Web publications
Lasikompassi.fi – "Glass Compass", a site on glass and working with kiln forming techniques. Includes articles and instructions. In Finnish. 2022–.
Publications
Koivisto, Kaisa, Kekäläinen, Päivi: Pieni helmikirja. Vitromania, Helsinki 2008. “Little glass bead book”. Self-publication, in Finnish.
Kekäläinen, Päivi. Esineitä lasimurskasta. A textbook on pâte de verre, in Finnish. UIAH and Edita, Helsinki 1992.
Articles (in Finnish)
Lasista peilille kehys, Taito magazine, 3/2007. Article on glass mold casting with work instructions.
Valmista lasinappeja sulattamalla, Taito magazine, 2/2007. Article on glass fusing with work instructions.
Ikkunalasin uudet kuviot, Taito magazine, 1/2007. Article on glass slumping with work instructions.
Lasilomalle töitä tekemään, Taitaja 2/2006. Article on taking a summer glass workshop in Scotland, in Finnish.
Tämän päivän lasia, The Friends of the Finnish Glass Museum Annual report 2005. Riihimäki 2006. Article on contemporary glass, in Finnish.
Fusing, bending, and shaping glass and Wound beads. – Koivisto, Kaisa (ed.). Finnish glass lives 5, p. 25–35. Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki 2005. Exhibition catalog.
Kiehtova, muuntuva lasi. Taito magazine, 4/1998 ja 5/1998. Article on kiln-forming glass.
Other
Ville Vallgrenin ateljee (Ville Vallgren's Atelier), [www.yle.fi/teema/teemagalleria/vallgren/ateljee.php - not available 2019]. YLE Teema gallery, 9.10.2003. (in Finnish) (Finnish Broadcasting Company’s Teema channel for culture, education, and science)
Kekäläinen, Päivi – Rajala, Markku: Kierrätyslasituotteen valmistus sintraamalla, research report. UIAH, Dept. of Ceramic and Glass Design, research publications no. 4, 1995. In Finnish.
Kekäläinen, Päivi – Rajala, Markku: Kierrätyslasituotteen valmistus sintraamalla, research report. UIAH, Dept. of Ceramic and Glass Design, research publications no. 6, 1995. In Finnish.
Selected publications and articles (featured)
Publications
Frantz, Susanne K., Olivié, Jean-Luc. Particle theories. International Pâte de Verre and Other Cast Glass Granulations. Museum of American Glass, 2005. (ill p. 68), exhibition catalog.
Holkers, Marta, Oblåst glas. Nationalmusei utställningskatalog nr 638, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm 2004. (ill., p.32–33 ), exhibition catalog.
Sahl-Madsen, Charlotte . Glasmuseet – De første 10 år. Glasmuseum - The first 10 years . Glasmuseets Forlag, Ebeltoft 1996. Exhibition catalog.
Von Malotki, Barbara. Die kleine Skulptur IV. Ausstellung - Internationales Studioglas. Kunsthaus am Museum Carola van Ham, Köln, Germany 1992. Exhibition catalog.
And in several exhibition catalogs by the Finnish glass museum, Riihimäki.
Articles
Wheaton Village, Pâte de Verre Glass, Neues Glass Aug/Sept. 2005 (ill p. 9) (Germany)
Kiln-cast glass – Oblåst glas, Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum. Stockholm, Vol 11, 2005, p. 67–68, ill (Sweden)
Puhaltamaton lasi näyttää saippualta, Helsingin Sanomat 25.3.2005
Holkers, Märta, Pâte-de-verre – Ugnsbakat glas för finsmakare, Antik & Auktion 1998:2, p. 37. Sweden.
Nordiske Profiler, Bo Nytt Hem&Fritid 1/1995 (Danmark) ill p. )
Talentborse handwerk 1992, Craft, July/Aug 1992 (U.K.) ill. p 48
Finland wins international design award, Form Function Finland 2/1992 p 21, ill.
Omat Leimat, Kodin Kuvalehti 7.5.1992 (p 76-77)
Nuori lasitaiteilija palkittiin Saksassa, Helsingin Sanomat 15.5.1992 (ill.)
Grants and honors
Selected Grants
2005 Alfred Kordelin Foundation
2004 National Council for Design
2000 The Finnish Cultural Foundation
1998 National Council for Crafts and Design
1998 The Finnish Konkordia-union
1996 Helsinki City Art Stipendium
1996 Alfred Kordelin Foundation
1991 Scholarship, Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA, USA
1990 Full Scholarship, Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA, USA
Awards and recognitions
2019 Collaborator of the Year, Aalto Arts Books.
2002 MindTrek Tampere: Honorary Mention for Helsingin Sanomat Internet Edition's "webortage", Ghosts in the House. Group work (own input: graphic design and part of the flash animation).
1992 Preis der Talentbörse Handwerk 1992. München, Germany.
1991 Honorary Award/stipend, Research Council of UIAH for the master's thesis, Tutkimusneuvoston stipendi lopputyöstä, Taik.
Memberships
Helsinki Artists’ Association
Artists O
Ornamo Art and Design Finland