KAINUUN KAOLIINI - KAOLIN OF KAINUU

Upcoming:

9th of September 2023.

The theme of the international symposium is Finnish wild clays and anagama kiln. 

The artists participating in the symposium are:

Elysia Athanatos, Cyprus

Nancy Fueller, Scotland, UK

Beatrice Keleriene, Lithuania

Aigi Orav, Estonia

Paula Ruuttunen, Finland

Kate Waltman, USA

Jari Vesterinen, Finland

Kaolin of Kainuu will be used in clay bodies that the artists use for their works.

Program of the day will be published soon. It includes an exhibition, lectures, artist meetings and everything wildclay!

Passed events:

GROUP EXHIBITION OF CONTEMPORARY CERAMIC ART

Pop up - Gallery Mineraali, Ouluntie 3, 89200 Puolanka, Finland.
Open from July 5 to August 7, 2022  Tue-Sun 12-17

KAOLIINIFESTIVAALI - KAOLIN FESTIVAL

CERAMICS AND GEOLOGY IN PUOLANKA 

Scroll down for the program of the festival!

KAINUUN KAOLIINI is an exhibition that features ten Finland-based artists who share an interest in wild clay and experimental pottery. Half of the artists are from northern and half from southern Finland. Each artist was given kaolin excavated from Puolanka. Each artist used this local material in their own way in their exhibition pieces. The theme of the exhibition is the elements and minerals, that clay, planet and all living things are all made of.
Kaolin is a clay type that is quite rare in Finland. The best-known occurrences are in Puolanka. Ceramic artists have embraced this domestic material that required a lot of experimentation to be used as a ceramic material.
Many of our artists have experimented with wild clay also before. Jari Vesterinen fires wild clays and wood ash glazes in the large anagama ceramic kiln he has built. Laura Pehkonen and Emma Helle have turned clay from old brick factories into sculptures. Piia Lieste has studied in her art the reuse of contaminated land from mines. Leena Hyttinen and Ulla Harju have worked with red clay from Taivalkoski that contains kaolin and can be fired in higher temperatures. Katariina Guthwert has used self-dug clay and also Icelandic volcanic materials in her works. Kaarina Kuusisto-Lukkari and Toshiaki Hoshi used wild kaolin in engobes and Miki Kim in clay bodies.

KAOLIN FESTIVAL 5.8.-7.8.2022

PROGRAM 

FRIDAY 5.8. 17-19 

OPEN CERAMICS WORKSHOP 

Free workshop for anyone who wants to test kaolin clay and clay molding. Basics of pottery. 

Location: Puolanka Multipurpose House, Ouluntie 16.

Time: 17-19 

RAKU GLAZING WORKSHOP 

Bring your own bisque fired pieces. You can glaze them here for the next day's raku firings. Participation fee 10 euros, includes raku. Register by e-mail: katariina@kainuunkaoliini.fi 

Location: Puolanka Multipurpose House, Ouluntie 16.

Time: 19-21 

FESTIVAL OPENING IN THE GALLERY 

Cocktail party open to everyone, speeches, presentation of works and concert by a Oulu-based artist JOAKIM OINAS. Joakim Oinas plays acoustic guitar inspired by North American root music.

Location: Galleria Mineraali, Ouluntie 3.
Time: 7 PM

SATURDAY 6.8. 

RAKU AND OBVARA FIRINGS

Raku is a traditional Japanese ceramic method in which ceramic pieces are fired and smoked, for example, in sawdust. Raku ceramics are characterized by a cracking surface of the glaze.

Obvara is a variant of raku in which the objects are not smoked but are dipped hot in a liquid made of yeast and wheat flour. Raku firings are led by Ulla Harju and Katariina Guthwert. 

We fire raku outside and get amazed as we dig the finished ceramic objects out of the smoking barrels. You need to bring with you your own bisque fired work, glazing workshop takes place on Friday. You can also try obvara style, no glazing required. Participation fee 10e, glazing included. Register for the firing: katariina@kainuunkaoliini.fi 

Location: Keskipisteen puisto, Ouluntie 16.

Time: 10-15 PM 

ARTISTS MEETINGS 

The artists will talk about their works, the schedule will be specified later. 

Location: Gallery Mineraali, Ouluntie 3.

Time: details later

EXCURSION TO KAOLIN FIELDS OF PUOLANKA 

Participation fee 5 euros. Register: katariina@kainuunkaoliini.fi 

Location: The bus leaves in front of Pohjanportti, Ouluntie 9. 

Time: 3-6 PM

KAOLIN DISCO

Kaolin face masks, DJ music and dancing in the heart of Puolanka. 

Location: Pohjanportti, Ouluntie 9

Time: 7 PM -

Follow our kaolin experiments on social media:

Instagram: kainuunkaoliini
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kainuun-kaolin - 100201575998241