Essi Pullinen

Goldsmiths 1987 - 2015

Each goldsmith of the year has their own individual idiom and method of working. The jewellery and items were created using various methods: handcrafting, drilling, sawing, forging, casting. For many, modern 3D-technology has opened doors to unlimited possibilities for new design. Over the decades, goldsmiths and silversmiths have shaped many unique pieces of luxury jewellery, but have also worked with mass production.

Goldsmith of the Year 2016

The smiths are connected by their passion, quality and an uncompromising attitude towards their work. They don't cut corners; instead, they will labour over even the smallest detail. A journey through the Brilliant! exhibition will uncover experimentation, the search for novel ideas, respect for traditions and international success stories. The smiths' works have been given as gifts to members of royal families and to popular figures who have divided popular opinion, such as the Shah of Iran and Diana, Princess of Wales. Throughout the decades, the jewellery has featured in well-respected, international exhibitions and in private collections.

1980 1990 2000 2010

2015 Heikki Hartikainen 2013 Essi Pullinen 2012 Carina Blomqvist 2011 Pekka Kulmala 2010 Ari-Pekka Rantanen

A snowflake on a car bonnet, a dandelion seed on asphalt, natural details make their way from Essi Pullinen’s camera to her jewellery. She imparts in her jewellery the beauty and fragility of the details in her photographs, but she also includes ugliness, full of power and sensitivity. Pullinen wishes to highlight things that are shunned and avoided in the shapes of her work. A piece of jewellery may have an unassuming outer shell yet still be imbued with joy and inspiration.

As a unit manager at the Institute of Design and Fine Art, Pullinen listens to her inner voice, which compels her to undertake demanding work. She works metal by hand, sawing and drilling. She utilises design solutions that do not require soldering. Her hard work and perseverance has resulted in jewellery that has appeared in numerous exhibitions all over the world.

www.finnishdesigners.fi/en/portfolio/essi.pullinen