Kirsi Vahtera/ Other Worlds

Kirsi Vahtera is a Finnish artist, sculptor, and master blacksmith from Lahti, Finland. She graduated as a designer from LAB University of Applied Sciences and as a master blacksmith from Axxell in Karjaa in 2013. Her work draws inspiration from Finnish nature, history, and folklore, and is deeply influenced by the Kalevala epic, its rich symbolism, and Finnish mythology—particularly the connections between the two.

From 2021 to 2024, she has been working on The Crownation series, which features forged metal crowns, jewelry, and photography. This ongoing exhibition has been presented in five galleries across Finland and one in the Netherlands, with plans for further gallery showings. The series currently consists of 14 crowns, with two more in progress for the next exhibition.

Her work was featured at the international startup and tech event Slush in 2017, and she has served as the main decorative and set designer for the Tuska Open Air Festival for four years. In 2020, she was nominated as Art Blacksmith of the Year by the Artist Blacksmith's Association of Finland.

In 2023, she held 12 exhibitions in Finland, followed by 11 in 2024. The highlight of 2023 was her summer exhibition at Juminkeko, one of Finland’s most prominent cultural centers dedicated to the Kalevala. The exhibition, titled Precious Daughters of Kalevala, explored themes of equality and mythical femininity through the stories of the Kalevala’s women.

She is currently engaged in her own exhibitions, collaborative projects with art groups, and organizing educational cultural events.