Hanna-Kaisa Korolainen | Saaristo64 vase, ochre-black-red

“Mostly I’m inspired by different layers of history – visual arts, different styles and cultures – and on the other hand, the colour of my morning matcha or a blooming bush in the yard can totally take me over. I have studied inspiration at Aalto University, and only in recent years I have learned to block some of the things that inspire me out of my mind. This way I can focus on just a few topics in more depth – I might even work with some for several years.

I consider the role of inspiration in the creative process to be collaborative, and it may even be the case that sometimes the subject of inspiration is actually the starting point of the creative process. For example, Monet’s Water Lilies paintings have set in motion countless new works, the number of which is increasing indefinitely. I secretly dream that my works could also serve as a source of inspiration for someone.”