Trickster Magazine

Your first drawings as a kid?
I remember drawing trees. I think, more specifically, it was spruce that I drew at first. I guess because there was a spruce tree seen from our window.

Is illustration a tool or an art form, and why?
I would agree on both. For me, in some cases, it is a tool to find the shape and expression, but then there are cases when illustration lets you dive in — mixing materials and experimenting to find the right visual and emotional balance.

What do you think about when you draw?
To be honest, I don’t think about anything specific when I’m drawing. Also, drawing sessions are a bit problematic, since lately I can only draw for about an hour and a half in the park while my daughter is sleeping. I think it’s more of a daydreaming kind of feeling when I’m drawing — I put on some good music, find the flow, and just enjoy the shapes and colours.

How did you find your style?
I’m still searching for it, but I somehow like a kind of “flat” illustration with a strong graphic impact. I’ve been drawing, painting, and making ceramics — I wanted to find a style that can be easily executed in any medium, yet still feels personal. So yeah, in my case, it’s about geometric shapes that I can also easily paint on a wall or turn into clay.

Color or line?
Both are great! I think it is good to switch sometimes from shapes to lines, and vice versa, to broaden the style.

Character or situation?
Character for sure! My work is mostly focused on characters.

Practice or talent?
Practice is what makes it! Non-stop working and being interested in your work is the key! But yeah, everyday practice is what keeps me going.

Your favourite artists in general? It could be anyone from any art field!
Severin Milet, Alice Guittard, Joakim Ojanen, Zsófia Keresztes

Why these?
They’re cool because they work perfectly when it comes to translating illustration into materials — ceramics, marble, textile, etc. I somehow like it when an artist works with material.

Your favourite illustrators? Name at least 3.
Philip Lindeman, Mantraste, Jay Daniel Wright, Alec Doherty, Nick Dahlen

Your favourite places in the world?
Our ceramic studio is my favourite place.

Advice for beginners?
From time to time, try to look at your work from the side and evaluate it! Be critical of your work! Show it to friends or to people you trust and respect!

What do you need to have a productive workday?
The day after football training is always the most productive — unless you get hurt while kicking the ball :) I guess physical activity helps create that productive flow.

Do you think of drawing as of work or as fun?
It's fun work for me :)

Have you ever been stuck creatively, and how have you dealt with it?
Oh yeah, I get stuck quite often. But then you have to talk to people, browse some nice books, or pick up a weird piece of material in your studio and try to understand it!

It’s like the perfect match! Like good sex :) There are hundreds of possibilities for how an illustrator can work with ceramics. For me, ceramics came quite naturally — my wife is a porcelain designer. Since she has always worked with porcelain and ceramic materials, she sometimes asked me to decorate the surfaces of her pieces. I really enjoyed that — seeing your drawing on a functional object that’s used every day.

And then there’s that feeling when you build a sculpture and see your work in 3D instead of on paper — that’s a real rush! So yeah, I think it’s becoming more and more popular nowadays for illustrators to work with ceramics. Years ago, clay was a forgotten medium; people associated ceramics with wheel-thrown red clay vases or cups. But today, with new materials and approaches, there’s such a wide variety of ceramic work — and often, part of it is made by illustration-related artists!