The makers of Iso-Pahkala ceramics – three generations of ceramists

Antti Iso-Pahkala is a second-generation ceramist who has worked with clay since childhood. He has been making ceramics full-time for nearly three decades — even though, back in high school, he once imagined a career as a marine biologist. Music was also a passion, but eventually his hands found their true place in clay.

Antti has been at the helm of Iso-Pahkala Ceramics since 2008 - shaping its creative direction and production. Today, most of the studio’s current collection is designed by him. Over the years, he has developed a distinct, functional, and clean personal style, deeply rooted in his passion for ceramics as both material and science. His fascination with glazes and firing as a chemical reaction is reflected in every piece he creates.

Antti’s ceramic art has been featured in several exhibitions, including Design Forum Invitational in Helsinki, Finland (2006), The Wedding of the Sea in Cervia, Italy (2005), and Local Culture Treasures in Kalajoki, Finland (2007). One of his long-time dreams came true in the summer of 2024, when the ceramic studio hosted its anniversary exhibition Freely from Clay – Three Generations.

Pia-Mari has been involved in the family business since the 1990s, having herself grown up in an entrepreneurial family. In the ceramics workshop, she is the one who maintains order and warmth—the person who ensures that everyday work runs smoothly.

She is responsible for the local shop and the summer café, and she plays an active role in many stages of production, especially in the finishing and decoration of the pieces. She brings with her years of experience and professional expertise.

Pia-Mari brings warmth and genuine presence to everything she does, qualities that shine through both in her work and in the way she meets customers.

Kari Iso-Pahkala’s passion for clay was sparked in his childhood surroundings in Kalajoki, where he watched bricks being made. In the late 1960s, as a young man who had already started a family, he and his wife Irma moved to Sweden to refine their ceramic skills in Höganäs and Gustavsberg. At Gustavsberg, Kari worked in the art department, where he had the opportunity to train in the atelier of renowned ceramic artist Stig Lindberg.

After returning to Kalajoki in the winter of 1972, Kari drove an iron bar into the frozen riverbank of his childhood home. From the red clay beneath the frost, he crafted the first ceramic pieces of his own company.

When creating art, Kari avoids defining in advance what a piece should become. Freedom, rather than a fixed theme or goal, is the red thread running through his work.

Kari has held numerous solo and group exhibitions over the years, with his art featured in renowned galleries and design showcases, including at the Artek Gallery, Finland Designs at the Ateneum Art Museum, Helmi Wuorelma Gallery, and the Iisalmi Cultural Center. 

His works have also been exhibited internationally in Nordic and European art venues, such as the Crystal Hall in Gustavsberg, at the Swedish State Invitational in Hässelby Castle, at Nordkalottens Hus in Tromsø, Norway, and at The Wedding of the Sea in Cervia, Italy. In 2010, the Iso-Pahkala Ceramics studio hosted the first Freely from Clay exhibition dedicated to Kari’s art. His latest works, both ceramic art and paintings, were featured in the 2024 anniversary exhibition, Freely from Clay – Three Generations, celebrating five decades of Iso-Pahkala Ceramics.

Born in Haukipudas, Irma moved to Kalajoki with her family as a child. She once dreamed of becoming an art teacher, but life took a different path. Marrying Kari at a young age, moving to Sweden, and learning the delicate craft of porcelain painting all shaped her journey toward ceramics.

Irma began working alongside Kari in 1974, when their ceramic studio was completed. Over the years, she became not only a master of ceramic decoration but also a skilled wheel-thrower and creator of unique, artistic pieces. Even today, her signature touch can be seen in many of the studio’s ceramics.

Her art has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including Kera 10 Years in Kuopio, The Wedding of the Sea  in Cervia in Italy, Ars Kalajoki, and Local Culture Treasures in Kalajoki. One of her most meaningful exhibitions was Lera, Linne och Glas at Hässelby Cultural Center in Stockholm, where members of the Finnish Ceramists Association were invited to showcase their work. 

Irma held her first solo art exhibition at the age of 70, and in the summer of 2024, she participated in Iso-Pahkala’s 50th anniversary exhibition, Freely from Clay – Three Generations.

In her ceramic art, Irma allows herself to be guided by both clay and spirit. Her works often reflect themes of spirituality, Biblical history, and echoes of the past world. These themes come together through her favorite material, peat clay. Its rich, oily texture seems to lead the artist’s hand. In recent years, this material has inspired creations ranging from teapots to dinosaur bones.

Tytti Iso-Pahkala grew up surrounded by a ceramic studio and the world of art, taking part in creative work from an early age. She is the third-generation of the family. Her parents and grandparents delight in her enthusiasm for making and learning ceramics. The future will reveal the role that ceramics and the family studio will continue to play in Tytti’s life.

Creativity runs deep in the Iso-Pahkala family. In Tytti, it shows not only in ceramics but also in writing and music. Growing up in the family’s ceramic studio has offered a unique environment for artistic experimentation and finding her own path in clay.

The ceramic studio’s 2024 anniversary exhibition, Freely from Clay – Three Generations, was the first to feature Tytti's ceramic art. She brought a fresh perspective, adding a new voice to the family’s rich ceramic tradition.

Customer Service: info@iso-pahkala.fi