Kaolin of Kainuu, an artistic project initiated in 2021, aims to raise awareness on how to collect and process Finnish wild clay. The project was conceived by visual artist Katariina Guthwert who wanted to find high-fired wild clay to use it in her art. With the help of the Geological Research Center, a suitable kaolin deposit was found in the town of Puolanka. The first Kaolin festival and ceramic art exhibition were organized in Puolanka the following year.
Kaolin is an essential material for ceramic work. Currently, Finnish kaolin is not used and all kaolin is imported from abroad. For ceramic artists, the yellowish tone of Finnish kaolin, the non-uniformity of the deposit and the color variations are not necessarily considered a flaw, but a desired artistic feature.
Puolanka kaolin is quite non-plastic. It doesn’t contain much fine clay material and it is difficult to shape by hand. That is why many artists have mixed kaolin with more plastic clays. The chemical and mineralogical compositions of Puolanka kaolin vary a lot. They contain 5-70% kaolinite, which is the main mineral of kaolin. They also contain 15-90%, according to the studies of Geological Research Center. The strong color variations are due to the different concentrations of iron and titanium.
Since the beginning of Kaolin of Kainuu project, many artists have gotten their hands on Finnish kaolin. Artists have used it at Kaolin Festival and it’s group exhibitions, in which already more than 40 artists from Finland and abroad have participated.
The theme of the newest kaolin exhibition, presented in KWUM Studio ceramics museum, is New Tests. A ceramist’s work includes experiments, test pieces and studying soil. The artists exhibiting works in this exhibition have challenged themselves to do artistic research and experiment with the material.
The exhibition was curated by Katariina Guthwert.
Artists: Anna-Kaisa Haanaho, Ulla Harju, Leena Hyttinen, Niko Mankinen, Lotta Mattila, Laura Pehkonen, Eva Spoof, Erkki Stenius ja Jari Vesterinen.
