Valentina Modig-Manuel, née Modig in 1936 (June 25, 1907, Minsk – June 22, 2005, Turku), was a ceramic artist who, together with her husband, founded Finland’s first independent ceramics studio.
Modig-Manuel’s parents had moved to Minsk at the end of the 19th century, but the family returned to Finland before World War I and settled in Tammisaari. The artist Helene Schjerfbeck taught Modig-Manuel drawing and encouraged her to apply to the School of Arts and Crafts, where she began studying decorative painting in 1927. After graduating, however, she chose to work with ceramics at Kera, Grankulla Clayworks. Initially, she worked as an unpaid apprentice, but eventually became the artistic director of the company.
In 1936, she moved to Turku to work for the Kupittaan Savi ceramics company, where she developed her technical skills and contributed to the creation of modern ceramic designs. The following year, she married her fellow student Josef Manuel (Manulkin), and the couple founded the ceramics studio Studio Keramos. In 1937 she won the bronze medal at the 1937 Paris World’s Fair.
Modig-Manuel began working in her own workshop in 1939. One of the early challenges they faced as studio owners was obtaining a proper kiln for firing their ceramic works. Kilns were essential for creating the high-quality finishes that defined their work. However, through persistence and hard work, they were able to overcome these initial obstacles, establishing a reputation for producing exquisite ceramic pieces with distinctive artistic flair. The ceramic products from the studio were well received, and they were featured in several exhibitions. Modig-Manuel was the only independent ceramic artist in Finland who mastered the reduction firing technique.
The studio’s commercial success, however, was primarily based on ceramic figurines designed by her husband, which became popular decorative items in the 1940s and 1950s. Modig-Manuel also taught ceramics for a long time at the Swedish-speaking Workers’ Institute in Turku, from 1954 until 1977, and continued working as a ceramicist into the 1980s. Retrospective exhibitions of her work in the 1990s garnered well-deserved attention.
- Valentina Modig-Manuel
- 1907 – 2005
- Awarded the bronze medal at the 1937 Paris World’s Fair
- Founded Studio Keramos with Josef Nauel
- Retrospective exhibition at Galleria Septaria 1994 in Helsinki
- Taught ceramics at the Workers’ Institute in Turku, from 1954 until 1977
Sources:
Valentina Modig-Manuel – nyrkit savessa taidekeramiikan tekijä