Sculptural Light No. 72 by Milla Vaahtera

Sculptural light no. 72 by Milla Vaahtera Dimensions: W 96 x D 55 x H 60 cm Materials: Glass In 2020 Milla Vaahtera started a series of unique sculptural lights made out of brass and hand blown glass. "I have focused on mobile art work for the past few years and this series with light is a natural continuum of that work. These lights are all unique and made by a very intuitive process. Glass parts are made in collaboration with a team of glass blowers from Nuutajärvi Glass Village. The creative process of joining methods of art to traditional areas of craft is the most important thing to me in my work. Traditionally craft has been an area where professionals avoid failure. Lack of failure makes them good. I'm revolutionary in embracing failure in the craft process. I always find new techniques via failure. Failure is not opposite to success, it's a necessary part of it. When I find the flow of “not giving a shit” in my work, I find freedom and fun, and achieve the best work. Embracing failure shuts up the critical comments in my head and I’m liberated. I´m inspired by everything and find influences all around me. I find leaving some tool marks to the brass and "the mistakes" refreshing. with glass, the pieces where you could see the moment of melt in the final work are always my favorites. And I felt that now I work in dialogue with glass. I learned to use improvisation at the moment to maintain the wild nature of glass. Glass is like me, spontaneous and organic. " Glassblowers: Paula Pääkkönen, Sani Lappalainen, Otto Koivuranta, Jukka Viuha, Penna Tornberg and many other glassblowers from Nuutajärvi. The metal parts: Silversmith Kirsi Kokkonen together with Milla Vaahtera Electric work Ullanlinnan sähkö Vaahtera began to work on this series in May 2017 together with glassblowers Paula Pääkkönen, Sani Lappalainen, Pauli Vähäsarja, Henni Eliala and Jonas Paajanen of Nuutajärvi. The metal parts were prepared by silversmith Kirsi Kokkonen together with Milla Vaahtera. The method was based on dialogue with the glass artists, improvisation and intuition. The ethereal pieces are a revival of the mobile tradition that emerged in the 1930s.The heavy glass parts and the delicate brass seek a balance with each other, thus creating tensions within the works. Milla Vaahtera (born 1981) is a designer and an artist working in Helsinki. The themes of her works extend from body image and sexuality to intuition and dialogues in the creative progress. Vaahtera has graduated as a Master of Arts in 2010 from Aalto University, the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. She did her BA studies in Lahti Institute of Design in 2008. Her work is featured in several exhibitions at galleries and museums including the Design Museum Finland, Lokal gallery and UU Market. She is most known of her Dialogue series, mobiles and stabiles, in which she combines bold glass parts with delicate brass. The process of making dialogue pieces is based on dialogue and improvisation. Vaahtera is passionate to Revive the Finnish heritage of glassblowing and give young generation of makers new opportunities to deepen their skills.