Hanna Heino

Ceramic sculptures as personal journeys

• Rootlessness, freedom and change drive Hanna forward
• Her work is made using ancient techniques
• Her objects must have a deeper meaning, a reason to be made

Even though working with her hands was something Hanna Heino had enjoyed from an early age, her professional life started in interior design and residential construction. But something was missing for her, and projects felt tedious. In 2015, she discovered ceramics and started to learn through experimentation. Four years later it was time to establish her own studio. Hanna grew up surrounded by the silence of snowy hills and fields in blossom. Her work is not linked to a specific territory, more to untouched areas where she enjoys spending time. As a self-taught artisan she has a strong respect for both the material, clay, and for traditions and techniques. Hanna also strives for her work to carry a deeper meaning, and the reason why an object was created must shine through.

Interview

©Anna Wallendahr

©Anna Wallendahr

Do you master any specific techniques?

All my ceramic sculptures are made using ancient working techniques, like handmade coiling and slab techniques, and I want to respect traditions. I have adjusted them to my own form language and have explored ways to achieve my desired results.

How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?

I respect the material, clay, in its rooted state by leaving the substances' refined tones and textures visible, since clay is deeply connected to earth. Innovation is shown in the way I shape the material, use contrasts on surfaces and create and combine shapes.

Is there something about your work that people do not usually know?

Rootlessness fascinates me. I need constant change. My works are born for example in a shelter in Lapland or in an abandoned house in the archipelago. Inspiration arises from my inner world, my works are personal journeys – places and phases of life made visible.

Is there a memorable moment in your professional life?

In 2023, I moved to an abandoned, 1870s house for 5 months to work. No running water, no heating, not even floors or windows in some of the rooms. I cooked on an open fire, took showers under the open sky. I wanted to challenge myself and the ways to work. It was hard. But it changed me and the experience is present in my works.

Hanna Heino is a rising star: she began her career in 2019

Works

©Hanna Heino

©Anna Wallendahr

©Hanna Heino

Where