TUIJA HEIKKINEN
Textile Designer
Photos by Tuija Heikkinen (unless credited)
Tuija Heikkinen is from Rovaniemi, northern Finland, which is very close to the Arctic Circle. She studied fashion and textile design, but loves a variety of arts and crafts. She works as a teacher at an arts and crafts school, and at the same time, runs a small company which focuses on printed textiles.
Her crochet hobby started by chance, when she was looking for a new form of expression besides her main work with the printed textiles. To satisfy her creative urge, she one day decided to use a crochet hook like a pen and the yarns as paints. Her grandmother was a skillful, industrious crocheter, and Tuija picked up that enthusiasm in her childhood. She uses simple techniques, and knows the limits and possibilities of what a crochet hook can create.
When she crochets, it is like writing a diary or drawing in a sketchbook. Crocheted notes that record her life, moods, nature, and her interests. Without actual sketches, she just chooses a theme and lets the hook fly. Tuija often calls her work "hook pictures", "hook sketches" or "hook illustrations". She relies on her intuition and believes in the process itself. The process itself is what she truly enjoys.
Her sources of inspiration come from nearby, she picks her subjects from everyday life and many creative fields - art, design, and fashion. Sometimes it is the color of a yarn ball or a flower bouquet on the kitchen table. Her crochet works are like little stories; illustrations from everyday life.
She has always worked with her hands, and it is a way of life for her. She feels fortunate to have been able to make a profession from it. Through her work, she wants to spread the joy of creating and making, and show that you can do things in varieties of ways. She hopes to discover new ideas and techniques for her expressive work and to inspire and encourage others to be open-minded, playful and unafraid of failures.
Instagram: @tuijaheikkinen
Photo by Jani Mikkola