Proximity: A collection of sculpures

Hakemuksen tiivistelmä

Proximity is about the aesthetics of nearness and joints. It revolves around what I call the “aesthetic aura” that appears from the juxtaposition of materials and shapes. In this body of work, I try to manifest this aura by designing a variety of creative compositions through different natural materials, including wood, felt, and copper. The ideation, sketching, and material experiments are finalized, and I am ready to start the production phase. The objective is to build a collection for a show in Lokal Gallery, Helsinki, 2021. This project’s roots can be traced back to my master thesis in industrial design (2010). It's a phenomenological study on nature’s aesthetic language. By going beyond the common reductionistic approach that diminishes complex reality to simplified geometry and ratios, my thesis focuse on comprehending the process of the formation of shapes in nature in comparision with the designers' approach. I showed that the factor of growth in nature, in contrast with assembly in design, is the core of their differences. As a result, I proposed a theory by which the logic behind the complexities and irregularities in nature could be better understood. From here, I was invited by Cheryl Akner-Koler, sculptor, and professor in Theoretical and Applied Aesthetics at Konstfack University to teach my findings as a design course. It was there I started discovering Nordic design and crafts and their impressive sensitivity to materials and their assembly. The outcome of these experiences triggered the idea of the "aesthetic aura" appearing through the assembling of materials that represent the juxtaposition of irregular and geometric shapes. The prominent role of nature and natural material in Finnish design, excellent material juxtaposition in Alvar Aalto’s works, and the potentials of the Finnish crafts (e.g., the use of birch bark layers in Puukku knife handle) have been also the sources of inspiration for the development of this idea to the present stage.