Mid2Mod: Erna Aaltonen

Erna Aaltonen (1951- ) is a Finnish ceramist known for her coarse stoneware sculptural vessels with rubbed oxides on a pitted surface. She is the wife and business partner of Howard Smith, about whom I posted yesterday.

Aaltonen studied under Heikki Jylhä-Vuorio at the Kuopio Academy of Design from 1981-1987. She then worked at Arabia Finland as an assistant to Smith, Heljä Liukko-Sundström, Kati Tuominen-Nittylä, Inkeri Leivo and Jun Kaneko.

She and Smith established Studio Arteos in 1988, and she has also maintained a studio of her own since 1996. Her awards include Arts Council of Finland grants in 1998 and 1999, a one-year Artist Grant by the Finnish State Committee for Design in 2000, a one-year work grant from the Finnish Cultural Foundation in 2001, the Greta and William Lehtinen Foundation Award in 2002 and the Finnish State Committee for Design exhibition grant in 2004.

Aaltonen creates her pieces out of thinly rolled ribbons of clay joined at the edges. She does not use a potter's wheel or molds.Her designs are simple but very elegant and represent the Finnish aesthetic well.

She and husband Howard Smith have converted a barn built to store apples into a magnificent home that's full of their beautiful creations.

From ceramicstoday.com and boston.com