Raija Tuumi Bowls and Baskets

A beautiful and unique hand thrown stoneware bowl, with amazing glaze. Made by Raija Tuumi at Arabia, Finland, 1960s. Excellent condition. Incised signature "RT" and "ARABIA". Ceramic artist Raija Tuumi (1923–2016) represents a generation of artists who, after the war, helped make Finland’s art industry internationally famous. The ceramic artists and their visibility at international exhibitions played a significant role in putting Finnish art on the world map. Raised in Kiukais in Satakunta, Finland, Raija Tuumi first discovered artistic expression through weaving. However local potters, raised her interest in an alternative material. After many different phases in her life Tuumi ended up studying in Ateneum’s ceramics department between 1946 and 1949, during which she found her own strong style. The students’ training included periods in workshops in Finland, where she encountered potters’ large dough and butter milk pots and other dishes that inspired Tuumi to work on large sculptural objects. Tuumi studied in the ceramics department along side with other ceramisist, including Ulla Procopé, Annikki Hovisaari, Dorrit Flinckenberg, Vuokko Eskolin...