In the heart of Punavuori, an area filled with design shops and charming cafes, ceramic artist Akiko Mori welcomes us into her studio. Surrounded by soft, earthy pieces and carefully chosen tools, Akiko shares her journey from Japan to Finland.
Akiko’s path to Helsinki wound through Zurich where she moved with her husband, a game designer, who came to work here first. They had a pit stop in Singapore to get married, and then finally settled in Finland nine years ago.

“When we arrived, spring was just beginning, and the snow was melting. I noticed every window was dirty. Coming from ultra clean Zurich, Helsinki felt raw and real.”
Akiko quickly grew fond of Helsinki’s beauty, particularly Eiranranta’s rocky coastline.

“The landscape here is so different from Japan,” she explains. “Those rocks by the shore were something I’d never seen before. They felt rugged and new, and that’s how I started to feel about this city too.”

From sculpting pieces to creating atmospheres

Though she originally dreamt of working a 9 to 5 job, Akiko’s path to ceramics began years ago in Japan, where she studied sculpture with a focus on clay.

“I only ever knew ceramics,” Akiko explains and shares how her art is deeply influenced by love of architecture. “Since childhood, I’ve loved to look at buildings, and imagine the spaces within.”

In her ceramic work, Akiko tries to create an atmosphere rather than an object. She wants people to see both the sculpture and the effect it creates into a space.
In the studio, Akiko works sculpting and shaping pieces in matte, earthy tones.

“No additives or glossy colours,” she explains. “I like the softness of Finnish clay, the muted tones – colours that feel natural.”

Stepping into a welcoming community

For Akiko, Helsinki has offered not just a place to work but a design community that has supported her every step of the way.

“When I first arrived, the government services helped me find my way as an immigrant,” she shares. Akiko quickly found her place in Helsinki’s design scene and met other artists, who were all eager to help her settle up her own studio. She mentions getting to know famous Finnish artists like Armi Teva and Matias Karsikas.

Akiko has also found her place in the Helsinki Playground creative community, a project that is connecting people all over the city and beyond. Like a children’s playground, it’s a space to collaborate, learn, experiment, and make friends. That’s how Akiko met one of her most meaningful connections in Helsinki, fellow artist and the founder of Helsinki Playground, Adam Tickle.

“We have the same taste in all things art – it’s rare to find someone who understands your aesthetic so deeply,” she says.

Adam has helped her to put up her work at Common Helsinki, a showcasing space and store started by Japanese-born but Helsinki-based Masako and Kohsuke Nakamura, an anchor of the local creative community. Akiko’s work is also available in design shops, like Lokal Helsinki.

The perfect mix of Finnish and Japanese design

As we tour the studio, Akiko shows us carefully organised tools and pieces lined up along the walls, in soft hues that blend into the calming, minimalist space. Living in Punavuori, Akiko finds joy in the small daily routines that make Helsinki feel like home. Whether it’s enjoying lunch at Onigiri Musubi or just walking around in her favourite neighbourhood.

“When I walk around Viiskulma, I always see familiar faces. I love the interaction, even just waving to people I see daily on the streets or at one of my favourite places to eat, Canvas Canteen.”

Another favourite stop for vintage furniture is Artek 2nd Cycle and Artek flagship store, where Akiko’s ceramic pieces are sold alongside Finnish design classics.

“To see my work there is a great honour. It’s the perfect mix of Finnish and Japanese design.”
For Akiko, Helsinki is more than a home. It’s a place where her art, community, and personal life all blend together.

“What makes me happiest here is the people and the connections,” she says with a warm smile. “It’s the best country in the world. It’s where I spend the rest of my life.”

Step into the world of Akiko Mori, a Japanese ceramic artist who fell in love with the charm of Punavuori. Explore the Design District, shop Artek 2nd cycle, eat at Helsinki’s best Onigiri and uncover the daily rituals that make this neighbourhood her forever home.