Top ceramic artists on display at Lokal Gallery

Ceramic artist Laura Itkonen working.

Two new generation ceramic artists have been selected by Artists O as Artist of the Year. In 2025, Laura Itkonen and Veera Tamminen were awarded the accolades.

Artists O ry has awarded the 2025 Artist of the Year accolades to Laura Itkonen and Veera Tamminen. The honour is awarded annually to two members of Artists O for their outstanding work in the field of material-based art. This year, two new generation ceramic artists will receive the recognition, and their works will be on display in a joint exhibition at Lokal Gallery, Annankatu 9, Helsinki, from 5 to 16 August.

Taiteilijat O ry is a professional and national artists’ organisation promoting material-based contemporary art. The exhibition ‘Artists of the Year – Artists O’ offers an inspiring look at the work of Laura Itkonen and Veera Tamminen, both of whom share the use of porcelain as a material for their works. The dialogue between physical and psychic space is the overarching theme of the exhibition.

Laura Itkonen, Sculptural Series

Laura Itkonen focuses on visually detailed and tactile architectural ceramics. Her work combines experimental material handling and a sculptural approach. Contrasting geometric forms and abstract, figurative expression are often collage-like.

Itkonen’s work has been exhibited internationally in Milan, London, Paris and Tokyo. Her works are in the State Art Collection and the HUS Art Collection, among others, and one of her most recent larger works is a commissioned wall relief for the Women’s Clinic in Helsinki, completed in 2024.

Veera Tamminen, Serenity

Veera Tamminen’s figurative works deal with the psyche, emotions and social themes. She explores private and public discourses through art, aiming to create works that reflect subjective emotional states in a way that is perceptible to outsiders. According to Tamminen, porcelain is a strong material for contemporary art because of its significant history and expressive potential.

Tamminen’s work has been exhibited both at home and abroad. In addition to Finland, she has participated in exhibitions in Germany and Taiwan, and she has curated the participation of Finnish designers in Paris Design Week 2016. She has also written six articles on ceramic art and given an artist lecture on intellectual property rights in connection with her fourth solo exhibition.

Ceramic artist Veera Tamminen working.