Erna Kaarina Aaltonen
Finnish studio potter.

Erna Kaarina Aaltonen is a Finnish studio potter making hand-built sculptural vessels from a coarse stoneware clay with rubbed oxides on a pitted surface. She is a member of the Finnish Association of Artists And Designers (TAIKO) and the Fiskars Co-operative, both since 1996.

Morna 2001 Handbuilt stoneware height 41 cm	Peru 2002 Handbuilt stoneware height 73 cm

Aaltonen studied under Heikki Jylhä-Vuorio at the Kuopio Academy of Design from 1981–87 and worked at Arabia Finland, assisting artists Heljä Liukko-Sundström and Howard Smith from 1986 and from 1987–88 as a pro-Arte-ceramist assisting amongst others Kati Tuominen-Niittylä, Inkeri Leivo and Jun Kaneko. She then co-established with Smith Studio Arteos in Tervakoski, working as technical assistant and overseeing production. She has maintained her own studio in Fiskars since 1996. Her awards include Arts Council of Finland grants in 1998 and 1999, a one year Artist Grant by the Finnish State Committee for Design in 2000, a one year work Grant from the Finnish Cultural Foundation in 2001, the Greta and William Lehtinen Foundation Award in 2002 and a the Finnish State Committee for Design exhibition grant in 2004.

Puro 2002 Handbuilt stoneware height 82 cm	Sargasso 2002 Handbuilt stoneware height 77 cm

Her simple but elegant forms, combined with their rough, pitted surfaces, are a fine example of the Finnish aesthetic. Aaltonen is represented by Galleria Bronda (Helsinki).

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