Lokal Creators / Veera Kulju

Veera Kulju is a remarkable textile and ceramics artist, who has lent her vision and understanding to us in the form of designs made and produced exclusively for Lokal. The items she has designed are sure to become classics and staples in many homes for generations to come. We interviewed her to find out more about her approach to the symbiosis of function and beauty.

Lokal Creators / Veera Kulju

Veera Kulju is a remarkable textile and ceramics artist, who has lent her vision and understanding to us in the form of designs made and produced exclusively for Lokal. The items she has designed are sure to become classics and staples in many homes for generations to come. We interviewed her to find out more about her approach to the symbiosis of function and beauty.

What is your design process like?

“I consider the purpose and ease of use. The beauty of the shape and the feel of the object. How the scale and surface feel in relation to the body, as well as a space. How an object is stored. I also consider the cost of manufacturing an object, and its effects on decisions which also affect the design. I think the object which is made for use should be functional and modest; quiet. Technologies often impose restrictions, and so one has to adapt one’s own ideas to the possibilities. To find your own expression, with some manoeuvring, within those boundaries and conditions.”

Which is your favourite item of the products you’ve designed for Lokal?

“I use the ILO tea towels and MALJA cups daily. The Niitty (eng. meadow) colour variant is the first textile item I have designed for production, and thus it has a special place in my heart. It was inspired by my art textile piece “True Colours”, which is a statement for tolerance. It has a spectrum of colours; both the light and shadow sides. Linen is a great material, it feels good, and like my mother said – one can even fry it without ruining it.”

What are some important principles to you in design, material selection and manufacturing processes?

“I want to know where and how the products are made. I am not interested in mass production and large volume. I prefer small series, which are made domestically, by skilled craftsmen. Maintaining small-scale production and small-scale industry is a vital condition for maintaining craftsmanship, as the training within craft industries depends on the future job prospects a country has to offer within the field. The legacy and skill of making by hand is slipping from our fingers, and that is a sad thing. I work with both ceramics and textiles; with hard and soft. In design, I focus on an expression which arises within the limits set by the object’s function. I hope that the things I make bring pleasure to people’s daily lives and endure daily use, including aesthetically, from one generation to the next.”

Shop: Veera Kulju’s Designs

Explore: Lokal Creators

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