Jonna Rutanen is a material-led designer and photographer committed to circular practice. Recycled and reclaimed resources are the foundation of their work, and they align their process with cradle-to-cradle principles—designing for repair, reuse, and safe return to cycles.

“Working by hand across glass, ceramics, fabrics, and yarns, treating the studio as a lab for material research. I test less harmful, shareable methods so insights extend beyond my practice. I embrace the constraints of waste materials; their limits focus my thinking and spark invention. The goal is to reduce my work’s carbon footprint while elevating the value of what’s often discarded—creating tactile, repairable pieces designed to circulate.”

CV

*1984, Lahti, Finland

Education

2023 – (2026) · Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Contemporary Design, MA

2020 – 2024 · Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Design, BA

2005 – 2007 · Pekka Halonen Academy · Degree in Visual Expression and Photography

2004 – 2005 · Västrä Nylands Folk High School · Art Photography course2004 · Lahti Folk High School · Photography course

2000 – 2003 · Lahti College of Arts and Crafts · Degree in Visual Communication & Graphic Design

Group Exhibitions

2026 · Ritual of Passage, Laboratory of Hope Exhibition, Marsio, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland

2025 · Sports – Friends, Pleasure and Gears, TAHTO Sports Museum of Finland, as a part of Helsinki Design Week, Helsinki, Finland

2025 · Designs for a Cooler Planet: Reimagining our Future with Baltic Sea, Venturo Studio, Espoo, Finland

2024 · Ceramic Laboratory: Building Block, Selected Works in Aalto ARTS Student Show

2024 · Ceramic Laboratory: Building Block, Beta Space Gallery, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland

2023 · Chiba Seaglass, Tamabi Gallery, Tama Art University, Tokyo, Japan

2015 · Young Artist, Taidehalli, Helsinki, Finland

2015 · Open Studios Weekend, AQUA Carré, Berlin, Germany

2012 · Vanitas, The Finnland-Institut, Berlin, Germany

2012 · Vanitas, Virka Gallery, Helsinki, Finland

2007 · 2`42, Korjaamon Galleria, Helsinki, Finland

2007 · 2`42, Tuusulan taide- ja kulttuurikeskus, Tuusula, Finland

2005 · Garage-fest, Kemiö, Finland

2005 · Student Grad Show, S-Galleria, Helsinki, Finland

2005 · Student Grad Show, Gallery Zebra, Karjaa, Finland

2003 · Catch-As-Catch-Can: documentation, Taidepanimo, Lahti, Finland

Grants

2024 · Aalto University

2023 · Scandinavia-Japan Sasakawa Foundation

2023 · Elvi ja Eilo Erikssonin opintorahastosäätiö

2011 · Patricia Seppälän säätiö

2007 · Suomalainen Konkordia-liitto

2007 · Keski-Uudenmaan ammattikoulutusyhtymä

Memberships

2021 – Ornamo

2006 – 2010 · The Union of Journalists in Finland