Helka Kettunen (Finland)
HELKA KETTUNEN
Designer biography:
Helka Kettunen, Finland. Studies: Jewelry maker's degree 1970, Rääkkylä, Finland, Master of Arts (Education) University of Joensuu, 1993, Finland, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Joensuu, 2005, Finland. Exhibitions: Group exhibitions: (Upcoming) Slovenian Jewelry Week 11.-19.6.2023, Waves of color Outokumpu Old Mine, Finland, 2022, With joy Outokumpu Library, Finland, 2022, Annual exhibitions of the Outokumpu Art Association, Finland, in 2008-2019. Member of Suomen Kultaseppien Liitto (The Goldsmith Association of Finland). Making jewelry is her passion. In her jewelry, she combines both natural and recycled materials. Studies related to people's lives fascinate her and inspire her art.
Collection concept:
Family story. Through her genealogical research, Helka Kettunen discovered her cultural heritage and the traditions and practices that have been passed down through her family. She inherited bark and she decided to learn how to make beads from it. Combining traditional materials like birchbark with modern materials like plastic is her way of respecting tradition past, while also looking towards the future. Red leather straps and wooden beads depict a connection with ancestors. This can be seen as her way of acknowledging the importance of tradition and heritage. By finding a balance between tradition and modernity, she can create pieces of jewelry that reflect both the past and the present.
Helka Kettunen, Necklace, Same DNA, 2023, Birchbark, recycled plastic and leather, wood, beads, acrylic, paint, metal wire
Helka Kettunen, Earrings, Same genus, 2023, Birchbark, recycled plastic and leather wood beads, acrylic paint metal wire earhooks
Helka Kettunen, Necklace, Family meeting, 2023, Birchbark recycled plastic and leather, wood, beads, acrylic paint metal wire