Kristina Riska: Canopic
Galerie Forsblom, May 14–June 6, 2021
The basic forms of Kristina Riska’s (b. 1960) sculptures are carefully planned and crafted. Still, chance inevitably plays a significant role in ceramics, a medium with a mind of its own in quite a literal sense. The clay changes size and shape in the kiln, and the glazes can take on surprising tones and textures.
The thin but sturdy undulating walls of the fragile-looking sculptures are achieved using the coil construction technique: Riska uses her fingers to roll out soft, thick coils, which she layers one on top of the other. She then decorates the surface with self-made stencils and glazes. Her monumental vessels are not intended for storing anything, but the interior – and the fact that we can see inside the sculptures – is an integral part of each work.
Kristina Riska is one of Finland’s most internationally renowned ceramic artists. She is a senior member of the Arabia Art Department Society of Helsinki. Her internationally acclaimed, award-winning work has featured in numerous exhibitions from Denmark to the US and Japan. Her sculptures are found in many private collections abroad, and she is also represented in public collections, including the Saastamoinen Foundation and the Swedish State collection.