I am having a mini-exhibition of my glass artworks and samples from PhotonArt project at the French Institute in Helsinki 1-17.6.2022. Moreover the institute is organizing a Café scientifique talk around the new era of glass. Talk is held on 16th of June, glass scientists Laeticia Petit and Jonathan Massera – and glass artist yours truly – are talking about past, presence and future of glass!
More info and registration to the event :
Welcome to the new age of glass
I’ve been trying to update and brush up my website – which means many of my old blog posts have disappeared and I’ve been trying to go for sleek and static site. If you miss my old blog and website, the stuff can be found at ellavarvioblog.wordpress.com
But now a quick look at this years events, palette of 2019’s events slowly building up:
Nemeton glass art exhibition is running still until 13.4., so remember to pop in at Galleria Mafka&Alakoski before the Easter holidays! Mythical forest made of glass reveals itself in several unique pieces and also as small series product: Nemeton-vase. The signature item of the exhibition is made of mouth blown glass with prints of different trees. The idea was to create beautiful home decor item that in multiple pieces forms up an illusion of a forest.
Galleria Mafka&Alakoski is located in Helsinki city centre, Iso Roobertinkatu 19. It is part of Design District Helsinki – cluster of design, antique and fashion stores, galleries and museums. During Design District Eve 6.4. gallery will be hosting Meet-the-artist-evening until 9pm. You’re more than welcome to pop by, see the artworks, videos from glass studio and hear about the story behind Nemeton, mythical glass forest.
Welcome to see my art in Helsinki this month!
Both exhibitions have free entry and you can also check exhibition’s facebook events for more info: Ornamo Teosmyynti and Ella Varvio: Nemeton. Ornamo Teosmyynti presents artworks and designs from several artists and it’s part of Suomi100 events. (centenary of Finland’s 100 years of independence is full of events).
I’m also very glad (and slightly nervous) about my first solo exhibition in Helsinki at Galleria Mafka&Alakoski, gallery specialized in glass art at Iso-Roobertinkatu 19. The theme of my exhibition is the universal myth of sacred grove and forest as a playground for one’s imagination. Most of the artworks are unique pieces made with demanding Graal technique. Hope you’ll be enchanted by eerie images, hues of greenish blue and three dimensional effects of Graal technique. More pictures coming up, and most importantly -if you’re in Helsinki -come and see the show.
I have been practicing a steady hand lately! I am producing a set of artworks inspired by nature – quite obvious for a Finn, but anyway. Some of these pieces are pure admiration of the beauty of trees, wild flowers, animals of the forest – some show the imaginative and much darker forest… It is very much work in process – even I myself am looking forward the final outcomes. These artworks will be on show at my solo exhibition at Galleria Mafka&Alakoski, Helsinki.
Here’s some of this years events, all in Finland / 2017 Näyttelyt
Some glow in the middle of darkness: hot glass! I had been hoarding some graal blanks for months and now it was time to make the ready pieces.
I’ve been creating drawings about sacred groves – important feature in many myths and many cultures: Finns, Celts, Slavic, etc. have considered forests and trees to be sacred. However these illustrations aim to be imaginative and mythical: they depict a mishmash of imaginary cult practices and realistic trees and animals. Sacred grove will be the theme my solo exhibition in Helsinki next spring. Stay tuned!
On the foreground Springtime Witch (2016) – mouthblown glass, Graal technique, made in Riihimäki, Finland.
Ella Varvio