Chapter 1 / Luku 1 – exhibition, Kupru Gallery
CHAPTER 1 / LUKU 1 is an exhibition produced by two collaborating organisations – MAKE Southwest in the UK and ONOMA Cooperative of Artists, Designers and Artisans in Fiskars. The exhibition is taking place in Kupru gallery and is open from the 3rd until the 30th of September 2023.
In early 2023 the representatives of MAKE Southwest, an organisation focusing on
promoting locally created crafts in the Southwest of England, contacted the Executive
Director of Onoma Matleena Kalajoki and the Exhibition Producer Jouni Virtanen. Laura
Wasley the CEO of MAKE Southwest and Flora Pearson the Exhibition Manager had
learned about our unique cooperative of creative people located in a similar historical
surroundings to their own community in Bovey Tracey, by Dartmoor in Devon.
MAKE Southwest is an acclaimed exhibition space for contemporary craft and design as
well as a leading charity for craft education. It was founded as Devon Guild of
Craftsmen in 1955 by a small group of makers, led by Edward Baly, who were
enthusiastic about the idea of promoting the best in regional craftwork. In 1986 they
bought the historical Riverside Mill to start a unique exhibition and education centre,
utilising and selling craft by their 250 plus local Maker Members.
Onoma the Cooperative of Artists, Designers and Artisans of Fiskars was registered in
1996 and has been producing exhibitions locally and internationally for nearly 30 years. Its
143 members work in wide range of different fields and with various materials. The
cooperative has been running a member only art, craft and design store ONOMA Shop for
25 years and an international Artist in Residence program for more than 15 years in the
historical ironmongery village of Fiskars. Fiskars village was founded in 1649, and it is also
a home to the largest listed company in Finland, Fiskars Group (or Corporation, you know,
the orange scissors?). Onoma was founded in a time when the industry was moving
elsewhere from the village and it was in dire need of spark of life. It was time for the
creative people to step in, and invited by then vice president of Fiskars Corporation Ingmar
Lindberg they started settling in the village making it their home and place of various kind
of creative work.
In early 2023 MAKE Southwest had been looking for creative partners to do exhibition
exchange with and after the first online meeting between the parties in March 2023 it was
clear that there is undeniable synergy and many exciting similarities between these two
creative organisations. The idea to start producing joined exhibitions in alternating years
was born.
The first edition – first of many to come we hope – is called CHAPTER 1 as it symbolises the
beginning of our collaboration. We are showing works from eight artists and artisans:
Sally Baldwin, textile artist
Lulu Halme, visual artist, graphic designer
Barton Hargreaves, artist and printmaker
Tiina Karimaa, sculptor
Peter Lanyon, green wood furniture maker
Syann Van Nitfrik, jeweller
Riitta Talonpoika, ceramic artist
Imogen Taylor-Noble, ceramic artist
Warm welcome to the vernissage at Kupru gallery on
Saturday the 2nd September 2023 between 5pm and 7pm!
