15.12.05
Maria Jauhiainen´s First Solo Exhibition
(Press release 15.2.2005)
Designer Maria Jauhiainen turns silver into delicate tracery and draws studies of nature in gossamer-thin brass. Maria Jauhiainen (born 1971) works in London, and her first major solo exhibition will be on show at Design Forum Finland from 16 December 2005 until 8 January 2006. The designer herself will be at the press conference at 11 am on 15 December to tell about her latest works.
Jauhiainen is fascinated by the strength and delicacy of metal. A typical aspect of her work is experimentation to see how light structures can be made while still retaining their strength. Although Jauhiainen is fascinated by fast-paced work, her pieces are always carefully considered entities. Most of the working process entails thought, and the actual realization requires the least amount of time in relative terms. Maria Jauhiainen applies her innovative techniques to design works of metal with structures and forms based on the core structures of nature. In her jewellery and objects, technical skill is combined with an individual language of form and expression.
Jauhiainen’s lace-like ”Lehti” has already aroused a great deal of attention internationally. The idea for this work originated in the remains of leaves found while taking out the rubbish. In 2001 she made the first version on this theme. ”Lehti” has won first prize in Applied Metalwork at the Oxo Peugeot Design Awards in 2003, and it was also featured in the Young Forum 2004 exhibition at Design Forum Finland. Made in brass or silver, ”Lehti” has been featured in e.g. Elle Decoration, The Financial Times, Wallpaper and Vogue. It is in the permanent collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Museum of Scotland, and now also in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Works by Maria Jauhiainen are on sale at leading international design shops, such as Skandium in London, Moss, the MoMA Design Store and the Cooper-Hewitt Shop in New York, the Design Forum Shop in Helsinki and the new Design Shop at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport.
Residing and working in London, Maria Jauhiainen graduated from the Royal College of Art in London in 2000, having previously obtained a BA (Hons.) in silversmithing in 1996 from the Lahti Design Institute in Finland. The present exhibition at Design Forum in Helsinki features her latest work, including jewellery and one-off pieces. The leaf theme and its new variations, such as the maidenhair tree theme, find new expression in Jauhiainen’s delicate works in metal. From Helsinki, this exhibition will continue on its international tour to Stockholm, opening at the Nutida Svenskt Silver gallery in February 2006.
Design Forum Finland Tila2 Maria Jauhiainen 16 December 2005–8 January 2006
Open Fri. 10–19, Sat. 10–18, Sun. 12–18
Erottajankatu 7, Helsinki
For further information, please contact:
Design Forum Finland, Aila Kolehmainen, tel. (09) 6220 8121, 041-538 7533, aila.kolehmainen(a)designforum.fi
Designer Maria Jauhiainen, tel. +44 (0)797 990 4564, maria.jauhiainen(a)talk21.com
