Kati Peltola on Reflections – in Glass and Upon Oneself

Kati Peltola is a Finnish designer, glass artist, and maker based in Helsinki. She has a Master of Arts in Contemporary Design from Aalto University, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University in Montreal. She’s known for her sculptural glass pieces that play around with functional aesthetics, and she mostly uses glass lampworking techniques to create her lively, organic designs.

Kati describes herself as having always been fascinated by glass, and displays masterful skills in bending it to her whims. Her specialty lies in a special kind of flameworking technique, which is reminiscent of glassblowing, but happens on a much smaller scale (and is not that common in Finland!).

Kati spent 2 months in residency with the FCINY – exploring the city often chronicled as one of the most diverse melting pots of culture in the world, all while playing around with a different kind of melting; that of flameworked glass.

In early October, the FCINY team had the chance to join her at Urban Glass – a Brooklyn-based glassworking studio and nonprofit fostering the exploration of glass as a creative medium. Amid touring the premises of the warehouse and marveling at Kati’s live flameworking display, the institute’s Helmi Korhonen had the chance to sit down with Kati to discuss her time in residence.

“You seem very at home here at Urban Glass”, Helmi begins, “how did you find out about the spot and what has made you want to spend so much time here?”

I’m a pretty self-driven person and don’t like sitting around idly for too long. One of my big goals for my residency here in NYC was to connect with local makers and visit key hotspots especially in relation to glass design. When my research led me to Urban Glass here in Brooklyn, I couldn’t help but enroll myself in some classes and secure my spot at the studio. It’s so inspiring to be surrounded by people who share the same passion and love for glass as a medium. This week, I've been here every day, come rain or shine. It’s good to keep my hands busy, and it’s been so incredibly easy and inspiring to do here.

In this instance, Kati keeps her hands busy by sticking a glass rod into the fluttery flame spewing from the lit torch, gently bending it in the glowing heat. She wears special goggles in order to see what’s happening inside the blaze. The brightness of the fire, if stared at too long without protection, is enough to render its spectator permanent eye damage (not to mention the hazards of heat). In the face of this thermal and photic threat, Kati speaks in a calm demeanor (as one would at, say, the breakfast table over a cup of tea), explaining her process of making her renowned glass rings. Our team stands in awe.

Kati explains: In essence, the process of making a ring is quite simple, and over the years it’s become almost second nature to me. I’ve found ways to manipulate the glass in order to create a more organic shape, and figured out a technique that lets me replicate the process ring after ring. Currently, I’m working on devising a sort of ring-sizing-system for my pieces. The problem with everything being handmade is that it’s difficult to bend the glass to precisely one size. I’m hoping that through this experimentation, I’ll be able to make the rings more tailored to each client that comes by.

“You mention enrolling yourself in a few classes here. Could you tell me more about that?”

Yes, of course! In addition to working on my own projects here, I’m currently enrolled in a class to learn all about Neon; how to work with the tubing to create signs and shapes, and how to mix certain noble gases to create specific colors. It’s been incredibly interesting so far. (She peppers in a fun fact: every neon sign in the world is handmade because of how delicate the sign making process is – something that industrialized processes and machines have yet to replicate.)

But the cool thing about being surrounded by so many artists and makers working with glass is that not all of my learning is coming from these structured classes. Simply by hanging out here at the studio, I’ve gotten acquainted with a bunch of talented local makers. They’ve shared their own favorite ways of working with me, and I’ve returned the favor by showing them how I approach the material. This willingness to share and ideate together is definitely something I’m not used to; I feel that in Finland people might be more careful with sharing the secrets to their craft… whereas here, most glass artists I’ve met are happy to let you in on their little tips and tricks. It feels really refreshing.

This American willingness to share was further exemplified to Kati a few weeks later in Philadelphia. She traveled to Pennsylvania to meet glass artist and sculptor Jessica Tsai, who gave her a private lesson in miniature glass sculpting. What ensued was a deeper appreciation towards entomology (many of Jessica’s pieces are sculptures of insects), what Kati describes as an “attempt at making a flower glass sculpture” (pictured further below), and a visit to, among other spots, The Mütter Museum and The East Kensington Arts and Oddities Festival.

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“You’re quite the traveller, Kati! Do you have any further travel plans for your residency?”

Besides my daily commute from Harlem to Brooklyn on either the blue or orange line, and my occasional bike route all the way up the Hudson river (yes, she did purchase a second-hand bike for her residency and yes, the route is an impressive 12-mile-feat), I’m set to visit upstate New York before my time in residency concludes. I’m planning to stay in Corning, doing a few more glass courses there and touring the Corning Museum of Glass.

“You’ve certainly kept yourself busy and inspired throughout your time in residency. What are you taking back home; as both lessons and inspiration?”

Being surrounded by such rich culture and impressive makers has certainly left a mark on me. I think my time in New York has fortified my vision for the future – and dare I say, injected me with more vigor to pursue bigger things next.

The underlying feeling I have right now is that I want to do something way bigger, weirder, and more impressive next. I’m not entirely sure what that would be yet. Maybe some bolder, more obscure evolution of what my work is already like? Or perhaps incorporating a new technique I’ve learned here into the mix? I’m still ruminating on it, albeit excitedly.

Another idea for the future is to start teaching. The type of flame working I do isn’t all that common in Finland, and I think there could be an unexplored opportunity to set up something new in Helsinki. I’m imagining intimate teaching sessions exploring the craft, and the chance for city-dwellers to dip their toes into the world of glass working. But let’s see what happens. Right now, I’m just happy to return home one experience richer.

Find out more about Kati, her work, and her future endeavors on her website, Instagram, and on the FCINY socials.