Hiidet

Co-operating art goblings

Petteri Leppikallio

Petteri Leppikallio, born in 1976 and living in Loppi.

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petteri @ hiidet dot com

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Background

When I was kid I loved building things but I remember that from the
very beginning form was very important to me. I loved seeing beautiful
things. Some years passed so that basically only time I was able to do
something concrete with my hands was in schools workshop. Still I
enjoyed pretty much everytime I was able to make something.

Why Wood?

At some point I searched consciously and not so consciously ways to express myself. I had chosen my career from IT industry but it didn’t fill my need to do something something which could be touched and viewed. I went through quite wide variety of crafts but none of materials and methods felt right. Metalworking was pretty close.

Problem was that to be able to make anything out of metal one needs to have quite dedicated and safe place. Then, almost by accident, I discovered wood again. I needed some way to create something finished virtually quickly and to see how flowing curves come together and make a form. At school I had tried woodturning. One day I realised that in fact it had to be quite right way to put those ideas I had in to real. It was extremely great to see how rough piece of wood changed to something which could be used or better yet displayed. Long and hard moments later I had learned enough to know that sometimes woodturning could be further refined by carving. Wood could be combined with different materials as well. I tried to combine wood with metal, glass, other organic materials but all of them had some problems. I have had some great results specially with wood and metal but they can be quite troublesome combination.

Polymerclay seems to be very promising and interesting material. Alone of course but also combined with wood. It is fundamentally different material than wood but still there are many similarities with wood. It can be very elastic and take forms which are virtually impossible in wood or at least very difficult to achieve. But when cured it can be sculpted and formed and finished like wood. I think we have seen just small part of possibilities these materials together can offer so there is interesting journey ahead.

Working together

To work with someone else has been new experience for me. Creative
process has been very intimate and somehow private thing for me but working together opens whole new world. It is great to be able to share and design together. Discussions about designs and ideas are important. There is so much to learn from each others methods to design and to work. Combining wood and polymerclay is very intriguing challenge which will undoubtedly produce something completely new.

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