Kyllikki Salmenhaara (14 July 1915 – 13 July 1981) was a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

ceramicist Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take forms including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is one of the visual arts. Wh ...

, and one of the leading ceramic artists and designers of the post-war period internationally.

Education

Salmenhaara finished secondary school in 1937, and went on to study ceramics design at the Central School of Industrial Arts (''Taideteollisuuskeskuskoulu'', now part of the

Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture Aalto is a Finnish surname meaning "wave". Notable people with the surname include: * Aino Aalto (1894–1949), Finnish architect and designer * Alec Aalto (1942–2018), Finnish diplomat * Alvar Aalto (1898–1976), Finnish architect and designe ...

), graduating in 1943. In 1946, she travelled to Denmark to continue her studies under

Nathalie Krebs Johanne Nathalie Krebs (August 5, 1895 in Aarhus – January 5, 1978 in Copenhagen) was a Danish potter. She was the sister of the medical doctor and explorer Carl Krebs. Krebs was employed at the Bing & Grøndahl between 1919 and 1929, where she ...

. In 1956, she was awarded a scholarship to further her studies at the Alfred University in New York, USA.

Career

As designer

Salmenhaara was hired straight after her graduation from ''Taideteollisuuskeskuskoulu'' by a now-defunct glass manufacturer, . From there she moved in 1947 to the leading Finnish ceramics manufacturer,

Arabia The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...

, where she remained for nearly 15 years. Salmenhaara's design philosophy was rooted in pottery as a craft, which she emphasised with down-to-earth shapes, rough, rustic surfaces, and often random, almost 'accidental' glazing and colouring. Among her signature designs are large, shallow bowls, and tall, narrow vases.

As teacher

Having injured her hand in throwing clay, Salmenhaara had to scale back her design work, and focused in her later career on teaching instead. She held a number of academic positions, teaching ceramic design at her '' alma mater'' from 1963 onwards, later heading up the ceramics department, and in 1970 was the first industrial designer to be tenured there as Professor, a position she however had to retire from for health reasons after only three years. In the early 1960s, she was a senior lecturer and consultant in ceramic industrial design at the Ceramic Trading Institute in Taiwan, and returned to the country as the director of the Taiwanese school of modern ceramics in the early 1970s. She would have stayed in Taiwan longer, but was persuaded by her fellow designers

Kaj Franck Kaj Gabriel Franck (9 November 1911 Vyborg, Grand Duchy of Finland – 26 September 1989 Santorini, Greece) was one of the leading figures of Finnish design and an influential figure in design and applied arts between 1940 and 1980. Franck's paren ...

and

Armi Ratia Armi Maria Ratia née Airaksinen (13 July 1912 – 3 October 1979) was the co-founder of the Finnish textile and clothing company Marimekko Oy. She is among Finland's most famous female entrepreneurs. She was born in Pälkjärvi in Ladoga Karel ...

to return to Finland, for a teaching position at the Finnish National Gallery,

Ateneum Ateneum is an art museum in Helsinki, Finland and one of the three museums forming the Finnish National Gallery. It is located in the centre of Helsinki on the south side of Rautatientori square close to Helsinki Central railway station. It ha ...

. Salmenhaara also held positions as visiting lecturer or professor at several North American universities in the 1960-70s, including at the

University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thre ...

Sheridan College Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (formerly Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology) is a public polytechnic institute of technology located in the west- Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. Founded i ...

, Alfred University and

Albion College Albion College is a private liberal arts college in Albion, Michigan. The college was founded in 1835 and its undergraduate population was approximately 1,500 students in 2014. They participate in NCAA Division III and the Michigan Interco ...

. She was known as a demanding, but also motivating and encouraging, teacher, who gave her students honest feedback, both positive and negative. She was highly regarded for her comprehensive knowledge of every aspect of ceramics design and craft.

Awards and honours

At the Milan Triennial exhibitions of art and design, Salmenhaara won silver medal in

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

, honourable mention in 1954, the ''Grand Prix'' in

1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th year ...

, and gold in

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Jan ...

. In 1961, Salmenhaara was awarded the ' medal of the

Order of the Lion of Finland The Order of the Lion of Finland ( fi, Suomen Leijonan ritarikunta; sv, Finlands Lejons orden) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty and the Order of the White Rose of Finland. The President ...

. Her book ''Keramiikka'' ( 'Ceramics') (Helsinki: Otava, 1974; ) won the Finnish state award for industrial design in 1975.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salmenhaara, Kyllikki Finnish ceramists Finnish industrial designers 1915 births 1981 deaths People from Tyrnävä Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture alumni Academic staff of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture Pro Finlandia Medals of the Order of the Lion of Finland