Verstas 247 is a unique space in the center of Helsinki. The "craft gym" offers memberships and courses for practicing handcraft techniques, such as sewing, weaving, knitting, printmaking and many more.
I am teaching a series of beginner's linocut printmaking courses at the space, focusing on how to do small scale linocut prints at home, with simple tools and without professional and inaccessible printmaking equipments, such as printing presses or large scale printing blocks.
The Sweater Work / Shop is a project focusing on the utilization of DIY, crafts and making techniques in a design context. Setting out to develop a small-scale system, this Project explores the possibilities of working with textile waste in new and innovative ways through hands-on making while searching for an alternative to mass consumption.
The prototype itself is a small mobile kiosk to show, make and sell. It visualizes the process of un-knitting old garments, making recycled yarns and then knitting new products from these yarns. It serves both as a work-station and a small shop, therefore the title of this Project: The Sweater Work / Shop.
The kiosk is combined with an alternative pricing system, offering customized products for a lower price, and thereby creating value through engagement of the customer and the story of the making process instead of monetary investments. In the end, a trial proved, that customized products offer a good balance of involvement; allowing even those who don’t want to craft, DIY or make to participate and benefit from some of the positive aspects of DIY, crafts and making.
The ABC of Sustainability is an illustrated typography-based poster. Each letter features a small character illustration depicting 26 different concepts related to sustainable and ethical living. Along with the image there are some explanations about the themes and some practical tips on how to live more sustainable.
The project "Super Synthetic Stones" is largely inspired by the ocean plastic problem. Through the combination of two of the world’s worst materials - plastic and concrete - a new material is created, that reduces cement and natural aggregate demand for concrete and gives new value and life to unrecycled waste plastics.
The spectrum for the application of this material is quite large, from tiles and floors in architecture, to objects in furniture and interior. The plastic does not only improve insulating characteristics, but also adds to the aesthetic value of concrete. Super Synthetic Stones are a unique product and they are not only interesting, because of their beautiful surface, but most importantly, because with every single object created, a positive impact on our environment can be made.
