KATI TUOMINEN-NIITTYLÄ
A Solo Show
“ I don’t make works, I make moments that have been lived, traces left by life. The shapes and colours reflect a presence, of time, place and man, at this instant, between past and future. ”
For nearly 14 years, jeweller Romilly Saumarez Smith has worked, at different times, with fellow jewellers Lucie Gledhill, Anna Wales, Rachel Jones, Carola Solcia and Laura Ngyou to make or “translate” her work - referring to the practice as ‘Us at Work’. This significant showcase of over 90 pieces presents Romilly’s work alongside the independent practices of her translators. The result is a display of the dazzling variety of their individual approaches.
Finnish ceramic artist Kati Tuominen-Niittylä reimagines the container, infusing ancient forms with a modern sensibility. The language of her forms is clean lines and simplicity, yet her vessels evoke archetypal silhouettes – reminiscent of functional vessels such as buckets and basketry. This connects her work to a lineage of primordial vessels: the objects appear almost as ancient artefacts or geological finds, with an archaic timelessness. “Forms bear a message”, she explains. The vessels are poised between motion and stillness – a “quiet movement”, TuominenNiittylä describes. The forms aren’t restricted by strict geometric principles, instead, they have a natural flow and inherent organicity. She achieves this by combining multiple techniques, alternating between wheel-throwing, casting, and hand-building; this technical interchanging breathes unique character into each piece.
Tuominen-Niittylä’s work is imbued with her characteristic balance between the restraint of her minimal forms and the textural complexity of surfaces. The earthy tones connect with nature, capturing the spirit of Nordic landscapes and ancient forests. She meticulously carves the rough surfaces, an almost meditative practice, to create textures reminiscent of dappled light and leaf fall. The result is a dense patterning that invites the eye to move and the hand to touch.
Cover: Rings by Romilly Saumarez Smith,
