Interview

Jun 30

Elisa Friman

Elisa Friman is a freelance ceramist, working in Helsinki, Finland since 2005.

Her focus lies in creating unique products and ceramic art. In her works, Elisa uses high-fire stoneware, porcelain and casting mass, and she paints with glazes and pigments.

Her work has been showcased throughout Europe in various exhibitions, and has appeared in multiple publications.

Currently, Elisa works as a teacher in ceramic workshops, and planning products for exhibitions.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I am a ceramic artist working in Helsinki, Finland. I vividly remember the moment when, as a child, I had the chance to shape clay for the first time. The experience left a deep impression on me. My passion for colors, shapes, painting and composition has always been a significant part of my personality, so I ended up as a designer and art teacher. Since then, other commercial studies and work have taken me elsewhere, but the enthusiasm for art has always been great.
I come from eastern Finland, a country of thousands of lakes. From the window of my childhood home, a lake landscape opened up, which is often present inside me as a soulscape. There is a great serenity and peace of mind on the horizon of a lake or sea, which I am happy to seek. Diving into the forest has always been a pleasure for me. In my country, all four seasons are vastly different. Nowadays, as the climate changes, I miss the white winter and the cool summer.”

What inspires you?

“Silence, music, movement, nature and urban surroundings produce endless inspiration. Creative work requires its own peace and space. I miss that space deeply, and it feels like home to me. Making art has always been my calling.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“I would like to highlight the limitations of the moment, the cycle of nature and the themes of growth and humanity. Incompleteness and forming are an interesting move in a new direction. Beauty is found in imperfections.
I am currently living through an intense period as a mother to my two young children and the themes of movement and opening have been relayed to my work. Children's grip on the world is the same grip I seek in my work – a certain kind of innocent spontaneity and open exploration. With my works, I want to convey the flow of feeling I experience during the process of creating.”

“Ceramic is a slow material, and its many work steps require discipline, patience and care. This is a good combination when added with intuitive work. I work on the material, looking for a finished result.”

How would you describe your work?

“My work is to a great extent about intuition, playful colors and shapes, layers, and contrast. In addition, abstract and textured surfaces, as well as form compositions are important parts of my work. My aim is to implement environmental values in my work process. I have also utilized recycled ceramics in my works and workshops. I am currently planning to use glazes to paint recycled ceramics, creating something new from material that has already been used once.”

Which artists influence you most?

“I admire the great masters as well as the many lesser known artists. Japanese and Scandinavian timeless design is close to my heart, and I enjoy abstract expression. Most recently, I have been impressed with the works of the Danish artist Manuel Canu and his choices as an artist.”

What is your creative process like?

“In my artistic work, I seek balance and tension, gladly breaking the familiar formula of doing things, looking for something new. I want to find insightful ways to work with material while respecting its limitations and limited natural resources.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“The role of the artist is to be a seer, a pioneer and a trend setter, a researcher and a questioner. Artistic expression is important in a world where many professions can be replaced by artificial intelligence in the future. Many jobs or tasks now happen with the help of computers and automation, with people also being programmed to sit in several professions.
Interest in creating by hand is on the rise and ceramics as a material is of interest due to the therapeutic properties of clay. More and more people want to put their hands in clay and do something concrete. Art empowers, awakens and reveals our deepest essence and brings out our humanity, our vanishing part in the universe.”