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Lokal Creators / Akiko Mori

Akiko Mori was born in Japan and studied sculpture at Art University in Tokyo. She has had numerous group and solo exhibitions in Japan and Singapore. 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. Mori tries to let the properties express themselves naturally without trying to suppress them, letting physical and chemical effects take their course.

Lokal Creators / Akiko Mori

Akiko Mori was born in Japan and studied sculpture at Art University in Tokyo. She has had numerous group and solo exhibitions in Japan and Singapore. 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. Mori tries to let the properties express themselves naturally without trying to suppress them, letting physical and chemical effects take their course.

Lokal: What are some of the things that inspire your creative process?

Akiko Mori: “I am inspired by mid-century design and in particular brutalist architecture. Materials that have naturally patinated and are bare are beautiful to me.”

L: What are some important principles and themes in your work and your approach to your practice?

A.M.: “Physics and mathematics are the guide posts by which I express my art to find unintended results and so discover the unexpected. I try to let the properties express themselves naturally without trying to suppress them. Instead I am letting physical and chemical effects take their course.”

L: What brought you to working with ceramics and stoneware? What significance does the material have in your design and production processes?

A.M.: “I like the flexibility it gives me in my process. Additionally, it is a way to stay calm while working.”

L: How has the Finnish environment affected your visual language?

A.M.: “In Finland things are calm and visually quiet. I try to remove unnecessary noise and focus on what’s actually important.”

Shop: Akiko Mori’s Works

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