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Lokal Creators / Katy Hertell

Katy Hertell is a sculptor living in Helsinki. She has worked with primarily ceramics, stoneware and earthenware, since the early 90’s. She draws inspiration from Eastern and Greek mythology, from the animal world, from children and from Nature, in creating hand-built sculptures. Many know her unique Luonnonsuojelija (Nature Protector) sculptures, which double as flower pots containing a piece of the land. Katy is the mother of Lokal’s founder, Katja Hagelstam, and it has been our pleasure to have the works of a third generation presented at our gallery. These photos accompanied by a short interview are from a recent visit to her at her studio at the Cable Factory in Helsinki.

Lokal Creators / Katy Hertell

Katy Hertell is a sculptor living in Helsinki. She has worked with primarily ceramics, stoneware and earthenware, since the early 90’s. She draws inspiration from Eastern and Greek mythology, from the animal world, from children and from Nature, in creating hand-built sculptures. Many know her unique Luonnonsuojelija (Nature Protector) sculptures, which double as flower pots containing a piece of the land. Katy is the mother of Lokal’s founder, Katja Hagelstam, and it has been our pleasure to have the works of a third generation presented at our gallery. These photos accompanied by a short interview are from a recent visit to her at her studio at the Cable Factory in Helsinki.

Lokal: From where do you draw your inspiration for your works?

Katy: “I get my inspiration from Nature, especially animals. I feel we have so much to learn from the animals that in many ways are wiser than us humans.”

L: What are some important principles in your creative process?

K: “It’s important to me to be totally present when I work, which functions best when I’m alone in the studio. Then I can work very intuitively, and just let the clay find the way.”

L: Do you have a relationship to your works as individual pieces?

K: “Some works do become important to me personally, especially when I feel satisfied with what I’ve created.”

L: What lead you to working with ceramics? What significance does the material have in your practice?

K: “Having tried other materials like stone, wood and concrete, I ended up working with clay, which I feel is a living material. I am fascinated by the possibilities that clay offers, and the unpredictability of the material. When starting something new, I seldom have a clear picture of what it is I want to create. I trust that the clay knows. After the firing, the ready piece is at first glance a surprise, to which one has to get used to – and either accept or reject.”

Shop: Katy Hertell’s Works

Explore: Lokal Creators

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Lokal Creators / Saija Starr

Saija Starr is a painter living in Helsinki. Recent works depict nature and human nature, memories and memories of places that have left a strong trace in memory. Starr’s painting style is expressive, and colours play a most important role.We visited her studio just as the last coat of paint was drying on her pieces to be included in her Lokal White Wall exhibition, Tranquility.

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Lokal Creators / Akiko Mori

Akiko Mori was born in Japan and studied sculpture at Art University in Tokyo. In 2022 she opened her new studio in Helsinki, which we visited to mark her Lokal White Wall exhibition, Geometric Spaces. She is interested in how physical properties, such as clay density and water content, affect the fluidity of the clay.

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Lokal Creators / Sini Villi

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