FIN/JPN Friendship Collection in celebration of 100 years of FInnish-Japanese relationships.
Secrets of Finland is a family of six objects, each celebrating a seasonal ritual belonging to the Finnish calendar, imagining the gifts that the Finnish delegation would have brought to Japan in 1919 to inaugurate Finnish-Japanese diplomatic relations.



A family of ceramics with spirited function celebrates the Finnish festivities and beliefs. The Lucius and Lucia candleholders bring light to the dark winter. Pauper coin collector is based on a tradition of wooden paupers outside churches collecting money for the poor. The Midsummer Dream Vase is for the seven wild flowers one should keep under the pillow to meet ones future partner. And last is the Easter Witch with her dog who holds the decorated easter branches (virvontavitsa). Collection available in May 2019.
Photo: Marc Eggiman / Artek




Easter Witch Vase & Easter Dog Vase
The Easter Witch Vase evokes the Finnish custom where children welcome spring by dressing up as witches and decorating willow twigs with feathers and small embellishments.




Lucia & Lucius Candleholders
The ceramic Lucia Candleholder is inspired by the thousands of Finnish girls that in deepest December dress up as Lucia the light-bringer, who triumphs over darkness.




Midsummer Dream Vase
On Midsummer Eve in June, Finnish folklore says that if a girl collects seven wildflowers and sleeps with them beneath her pillow, she will dream of her future husband.




Pauper Coin Collector
This piggy-bank is inspired by an old Finnish tradition of placing a wooden statue of a pauper outside a church to collect money for the poor.




Artek FIN/JPN Friendship collection launch in Milan Fair April 2019.
Johan and Aamu with Secrets of FInland collection.


Making of Secrets of FInland collection:
The collection is hand-made by Artek’s ceramic partner in Portugal, based on a close collaborative development process with Aamu Song and Johan Olin.



The almost complete Fin Family waiting to be casted into master moulds.




Master mold maker Diogo and Aamu finalising the characters.




The details are either carved in the plaster or added in clay before master molds are casted.




All characters are first roughly turned in plaster. Details are then added.





Drawing: Aamu Song / COMPANY





First family in hobby-clay by Aamu & Johan.





Easter Girls & Easter Dog Vases. First clay models.




Early sketches of the Secrets of Finland Family. Drawings: Aamu Song