I was born in Finland, in a small coastal town called Kotka. Nowadays, I live in the capital, Helsinki, but I often go to my hometown to relax and enjoy nature.
MAGAZINE · INTERVIEW
Tero Kuitunen
Tero Kuitunen is a Finnish designer and ceramic artist based in Helsinki, whose practice explores the dialogue between design, art, and material experimentation. Working across collectible furniture, ceramics, spatial design, and curation, he creates sculptural objects distinguished by playful forms, tactile surfaces, and unexpected material combinations that invite interaction and emotional connection.
Guided by an intuitive, material-led approach, Kuitunen often begins his creative process with colors, textures, and unconventional pairings, allowing each work to evolve through experimentation. Balancing functionality with artistic expression, his practice celebrates humor, craftsmanship, and the sensory experience of objects, resulting in timeless pieces that blur the boundaries between design and art.
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Interview
Where were you born and where are you from?
What is your first memory connected to the art world?
I have always worked with my hands and created things, but I guess I didn’t think of it as art. It felt more like playing. I remember a TV program where they were making ceramic sculptures, and it gave me the idea that you can create any form or shape from clay.
Have you always worked in the art/design field?
Yes, I have always been in the art and design field. Since I was a child, I attended art schools and eventually went to art university. My parents had a bakery where I worked when I was younger, which influenced my work later on. I found many similarities between baking and making ceramics.
What led you to design creation?
I think creating has always been part of my DNA. So, I don’t think there was a specific thing that led me to it. I definitely had great teachers who encouraged me to pursue a career in the creative field.
How would you describe your creative process and its influences?
I’m very hands-on. I don’t usually sketch on paper. I get ideas quite clearly in my mind and then start making a mock-up or forming the object right away. I get inspiration from many places, such as visiting museums, 1970s culture, and pop culture.
Could you describe a typical day of your work?
I try to keep my daily routine consistent. I usually wake up around 8-9 a.m., have coffee, check emails, and do administrative work. Around 11-12 a.m., I head to my studio, which is about a 15-minute walk from my home. I work there for about 6 hours, then I might do some sports or meet friends. I don’t like working at night or on weekends. Of course, when there’s an exhibition or a deadline, I put in longer hours, but I try to maintain a healthy balance.
Why did you choose the specific materials you work with?
I’ve always loved working with my hands, and clay/ceramics have always fascinated me. I remember digging clay from a field and sculpting something for my mother. It was a portrait of her inspired by Miss Piggy, so I made her look like a pig. But I’m sure she at least got a good laugh out of it.
What are the technical particularities of your creations?
I love experimenting with different materials and colors, and figuring out how to combine them. For example, in my Boudoir Mirror, it was a challenge to find the right paint color to match the textile fringe.
What advice could you give to beginning artists who would like to create sculptural design works?
Always trust your instincts and keep working. Nothing happens overnight.
If your works had to belong to a design movement, how would you define it?
I guess contemporary craft or dopamine design.
What designers and artists have influenced you?
Older Finnish designers like Maija Isola for Marimekko and Alvar Aalto have influenced the whole Finnish design field.
What contemporary designers do you appreciate?
I appreciate the playful works of Jaime Hayon.
What contemporary artists, in any kind of art, have you been inspired by?
The colors and techniques of Anton Alvarez’s sculptures are very inspiring.
If you had to summarize your creations in one word or sentence, what would it be?
This is where the fun begins.
“Always trust your instincts and keep working. Nothing happens overnight.”
The Questionnaire
The Questions
(The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust.
Other historical figures who have answered confession albums are Oscar Wilde,
Karl Marx, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Cézanne…)
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Cold beer at sunny beach
What is your greatest fear?
Heights
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impatience
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Cruelty
Which living person do you most admire?
Madonna
What is your greatest extravagance?
Shoes
What is your current state of mind?
Good
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Running
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Kindness
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Strength
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Like
Which talent would you most like to have?
Signing
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Better hair
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Working as an artist
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
Karl Lagerfeld’s cat
Where would you most like to live?
Spain
What is your most treasured possession?
Art from friends
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Working only for money
What is your favorite occupation?
Baker
What is your most marked characteristic?
Humour
What do you most value in your friends?
Honesty
Who are your favorite writers?
Saara Turunen
Who is your hero of fiction?
Peter Pan
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Andy Warhol
Who are your heroes in real life?
My artist friends
What are your favorite names?
Gerard & Anastasia
What is it that you most dislike?
Yrjö
What is your greatest regret?
Not listening my gut feeling
How would you like to die?
Sleeping
What is your motto?
This is where the fun begins
“I’m very hands-on. I don’t usually sketch on paper. I get ideas quite clearly in my mind and then start making a mock-up or forming the object right away.”
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