liikelahja – Contemporary Glass

16/04/202326/04/2023

Exhibition in G12, Helsinki

lasitaide lasiveistos nykytaide — Snake-shaped chandeliers that weep tears, symbolize the complexities and struggles of domestic life. Snake is a symbol of rebirth and transformation, and a metaphor for the primal, animalistic urges that lie dormant within us. In many cultures, snakes are seen as both symbols of healing and destruction.

Homes are more than mere structures that we inhabit. For they serve as reflections of our innermost thoughts, emotions, and concealed identities. Sini Majuri’s latest sculpture series delves into the non-physical dimensions of our existence.

Sini Majuri’s glass exhibition is open in G12 Gallery in Helsinki from April 22 till May 11, 2023. Pieces blend the tangible and intangible, the old and new, and the handmade and digital. By blurring the lines between art and science, Majuri hopes to capture the ever-evolving nature of art and the human experience – and challenge viewers to consider is it possible that technology could unlock new depths of creativity – Or will it ultimately lead to a loss of authenticity and soul?

The glass sculptures portray layers of feminine countenances of the human psyche. By toying with ugliness and beauty, these works invite to think about the intricate nature of human perception and the multifaceted dimensions of aesthetics. Similarly, the image of a woman with layered faces represent the different roles that women play in society, as well as the complex nature of femininity itself.

Majuri’s work portrays homes as both a sanctuary of comfort and a site of trauma, using symbols like the weeping serpent and layered women to represent the nature of our subconscious. Glass, with its transparency and fragility is a metaphor for the human mind, which is complex and multifaceted. We may curate our homes to reflect a certain image or ideal, but behind closed doors, there may be hidden struggles and complexities that we keep hidden away from view. Antimatter series is showcasing both the light and the dark aspects of domestic life. While Finland ranks as the happiest country in the world, domestic violence remains a significant problem. The transparency of glass reminds us that what we see on the surface may not always be the full story.

lasinpuhallus lasitaide nykytaide veistos — Antimatter series mirror the theme of Homes, how they are the vessels of our being, the repositories of our memories, for they are more than mere structures that we inhabit. Sculptures also offer a reminder that healing and growth are possible, even in the face of trauma and adversity

Glass as a medium highlights the idea of transparency and the power of seeing through barriers. In the same way that glass reveals what lies beneath its surface – sculptures invite viewers to explore the hidden layers of our own consciousness and the stories that we often keep concealed. Transparency underscores the importance of vulnerability and honesty in our relationships, both with ourselves and with others. Glass is a material that is both fragile and strong, transparent and reflective. These qualities are a metaphor for the contradictions and paradoxes that we encounter in our lives.

Sini Majuri’s Artist Meet 4.5 at 12.00 in G12 Gallery, Annankatu 16.

Listen Sini Majuri’s interview in Radio Helsinki from here.

Images by Juha-Matti Vahdersalo

06/05/202106/05/2021

Four design Awards from Italy

I‘m overwhelmed and thankful for being awarded with four A’Design Awards from Italy!
The Bumpy vase that I designed for DutZ Collection won a Silver award. Flow and Icy collections that were both blown at the wonderful Mafka&Alakoski glass studio in Riihimäki also got Silver awards. What a silver lining for this strange year, indeed! And the Cassiopeia Sculpture that was exhibited in Venice Glass Week HUB got a Bronze award.

Thank you for my great team for all the support over the years, and thank you DutZ for the delightful design project again! It’s always so lovely to work together, making designs that are more than just mere interior objects. The studio made glass has such a unique charisma and soul that I wish that I manage to reflect in my design.

12/03/202122/04/2021

Bumpy for DutZ Collection

Sini Majuri designs a collection of glass vessels for DutZ Collection. Bumpy vases are created in blue, gold and grey color. The collection is awarded with a Silver A’Design Award from Italy in 2021.

Collection plays with contrasts. High quality meet rough glass shards that look as ornaments when placed on the rim of the vessel. Calm Scandinavian color palette brings harmony to the studio made vases that are inspired by the textures of melting ice. The concept of the design is to flirt with organic shapes and poetic glass medium.

The collection is inspired by the melting ice. The icy texture in every vessel has it’s special charisma.

The shape of the vessel is oval. Every piece is mouth blown and shaped by hand.

Bumpy vases are mouth blown and shaped by hand.

Bumpy vase finds its place on the windowsill, side table or as a gorgeous centre-piece on the dining table. This model is suitable for just one flower branch, but it is also beautiful with nothing at all in it. Unique Bumpy vase fits well in every interior.

04/02/202111/03/2021

Flow collection brings 3D perspective into abstract brush strokes

The Flow edition gains inspiration from the elegance of the movement of liquid glass that is frozen into a stasis that is fragile yet forever. The rhythm of the glass making process ensures that every vessel has unique splashes of color that mimic the dance of brush strokes of abstract impression. Every vase has their own breath. It’s a methaphor for a soul of a piece that makes it more than mere interior object. Flow is a 3th edition of Sini Majuri’s Jungle series that has been awarded with a Golden and Silver A’Design Award.

The Flow is a 3th edition of Sini Majuri’s Jungle Collection. Every vase has it’s own color play inside a thick glass.

Every vessel is studio made in Finland and shaped by hand.

Flow collection mixes Scandinavian cool with capricious Finnish glass blowing techniques that allow color flow freely within the glass layers. Collection has three shapes and the design is available in green, blue and purple. Studio made vases are signed by hand and numbered.

A simplified shape can become multi-dimensional in glass medium; There is the visual layer of glass: how does the glass reflect, how will the colors look in different light. Above all there are also the historical layers of glass, the origin of Finnish glass making and the rare knowledge behind the craftsmanship.

Inquiries of the Flow Collection via email. Manufacturing time of orders with more than 10 objects is 2 weeks. For international orders, please ask for a quote with shipping fee.

Flow Collection is made in wide (20 cm tall), small (9 cm tall) and tall (23 cm tall) shape.

The process of the Flow Collection ensures that every vase has a unique color play inside the hand shaped glass. Made in Mafka&Alakoski studio, Riihimäki, Finland.

07/05/202007/05/2020

Sini Majuri wins three A’ Design Awards from Italy

A’ Design Award and Competition is the worlds’ largest design competition awarding best designs, design concepts and products & services. Image by A design Award.

Sini Majuri has been honored with two renowned Silver A’ Design Awards and one Iron Award. The Rainforest glass series won the Silver from Furniture, Decorative Items and Homeware Design Competition. Also Majuri’s work Iceberg won a Silver Award at Arts, Crafts and Ready-Made Design Competition Category. The Iron award was given to Majuri’s Spike lamp design at Lighting Products and Lighting Projects Design Competition Category.

The collection aims to create vases that have unusually thick glass as their material. The space for inner part of the vase is minimized. Almost hidden. This makes the vases appear voluminous, yet light.

The Rainforest vases are a mixture of 3D designed shapes and traditional Scandinavian steamstick technique. The hand shaped pieces have extremely thick glass with weightlessly floating splashes of color. The studiomade collection is inspired by the contrasts of nature, and how it creates harmony.

The A’ Design Competition is organized annually in Como, Italy. Image by A’Design Award.

The Silver A’ Design Award is a prestigious award given to top 5% percentile designs that has achieved an exemplary level of originality in design. Entries to the A’ Furniture Design Awards are peer reviewed and anonymously judged by an expert jury panel of prominent academics, important press members and experienced professionals. Nominated furniture designs are voted on pre-determined evaluation criteria to highlight only the leading furniture design works.

Icebergs are interior sculptures. By connecting mountains, it is possible to build mountain ranges, mental landscapes made of glass. The surface of each recycled glass object is unique. Thus, each object has a unique character, a soul. Sculptures are handshaped, signed and numbered in Finland. The main philosophy behind the Iceberg sculptures is to reflect the climate change.

Spike lamp plays with contrasts. It is inspired by punk culture and calm Scandinavian mood. It is a voluminous piece, with warm light that is focused into a small pointy area under the piece. The Spike lamp has a aggressive appearance because of the metal spikes pointing towards the viewer. At the same time there is something calm about the smoothness of the ceramic surface and warm light. The lamp creates tension in a interior. Like an individual from a subculture.

The object is made in a two sided plaster mold by JP Studiokeramiikka. The outer surface of the ceramic object is spray glazed. The light is a dimmable LED. The diameter of the ceramic part is 350 mm x 320 mm. With the spikes the diameter of the lamp is 450 mm x 370 mm.

The Spike lamp has a aggressive appearance because of the metal spikes pointing towards the viewer. At the same time there is something calm about the smoothness of the ceramic surface and warm light. The lamp creates tension in a interior.

A’ Art Design Award aims to highlight the excellent qualifications of best art designs and greatest art design concepts worldwide. The A’ Design Accolades are organized and awarded annually and internationally in multiple categories to reach a wide, design-oriented audience. The ultimate aim of the A’ art Design Competition is to create a global awareness for good design.

19/01/202022/10/2020

Cassiopeia lamps for Salone del Mobile, Milan

59th edition of the Salone del Mobile is postponed to 2021.

Cassiopeia lamp is made from recycled Iittala factory’s glass.

It’s inspirational to be part of the Salone del Mobile 2020, internationally known as Milan Furniture Fair. Last year I visited Italy several times because of Venice glass week and A’Design Awards. I feel fortunate to be able to return once again! The Italian design atmosphere is wild and wonderful. After every visit my mind is full of new ideas for glass.

The bumpy surface of the Cassiopeia lamps looks like ice.

The first Cassiopeia item can also be found from Bukowskis online auction
that is open till 4.2.2020. The material is recycled glass.

One of the projects that I will exhibit at the fair will be Cassiopeia. In the Glass Studio Hytti that is located at Suomenlinna fortress island, we use recycled Iittala Factory’s glass. In Cassiopeia I wanted to create an organic shape by gathering large glass sharts on the surface of the piece. This gives the object extremely rough texture that is carefully melted until all the sharp edges have been smoothed into bumpy ice like overlay.

The early prorotypes of the Cassipeia can also be found from Unionin26 design shop in Helsinki. It’s good to get some feedback before the trip to Milan, because there is still time to make the final adjustments to the project. I’m specially interested to highlight the recycled material as the basis of the design. There is somethign poetic about using broken glass as the material of a new piece.

Where to find:

Salone del Mobile 2020, Milan
Sini Majuri Webshop

Salone del Mobile Milano is postponed to 2021.

21/11/201913/01/2020

Dreams exhibition opens in Gallery Pictor

H.E. Gabriele Altana, the ambassador of Italy in Finland opened the Dreams exhibition in Gallery Pictor, where my glass is exhibited together with the ceramic art of Heini Riitahuhta.

It was a fun coincidence that Italy has been an important part of my year. There was a golden award from Italian A’Design Award and invitation to Venice glass Week. In 2020 I’ll also exhibit some new works in Milan Design Week. So maybe fate is trying to get me to stay in Italy.

The beautiful gallery space used to be a fire station and they still had the original fire truck door and large windows. It was great to meet many friendly people at the event and open the stories behind the glass sculptures.

Roller coaster sculpture was blown in Riihimäki. There is intensive dark blue color behind the soda bubbles. When the sculpture is illuminated from the right angle, the shadow has a surprising hue. The sculpture is solid glass.

Earlier version of the icebergs was also exhibited in Venice. Glacier is a icy landscape that mirrors the nordic mood.

Hedge Maze graal piece has multiple image layers with lots of hidden details. On the reverse side, the images are dark blue, like a shadows of a forest.

Thank you all for the fun opening! The exhibition is open till 7.12.2019. So there is still time to visit and dream along!