Ville Heimala is a sculptor who lives and works in Lapinkylä. Originally trained as a biologist, art has always been a background presence in his life. Heimala has also worked for a long time as an exhibition designer, for example at Luomus (The Finnish Museum of Natural History).
Over time, Ville felt the need to work more with his hands and create from his own starting point – while still keeping nature as a strong influence. As a sculptor, he can now express himself more freely and stylize his thoughts in his own way.
In his artistic work, Heimala primarily uses ceramics. His style is rich and detailed, combining realistic and abstract or semi-abstract elements. He often constructs his pieces from small parts that come together to form multi-dimensional wholes. His core style is especially inspired by Art Nouveau – particularly Finnish National Romanticism – and artists such as Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Gustav Klimt have been strong sources of inspiration.
Working with ceramics brings its own challenges – some of which are the surprises that come with kiln firing. Sometimes the final outcome may differ from what was planned, especially when experimenting, but rarely does a piece have to be completely redone. Heimala feels that with ceramics, one must accept a certain degree of unpredictability.
Heimala mainly creates his own artworks and commissions, and recently, also public works. On the side, he does exhibition and graphic design, curating, and illustration.
Nature in general, along with ethnology and folk traditions, are lasting sources of inspiration for him – both in terms of form and content. At the moment, he is focused on creating diverse animal and nature-themed sculptures. Starting in May 2025, Heimala will have an exhibition, Biodiversity, at the KWUM Ceramics Museum, where he will present more exotic creatures and themes exploring biodiversity. The exhibition at the KWUM ceramics museum in Fiskars runs until September 28.
During the Konstrundan open studio weekend, Heimala enjoys presenting his work and sharing insights about his ceramic pieces and creative process. He’s happy to demonstrate to visitors how ceramics are made, what’s involved, and how clay is transformed in the kiln – in a way, similar to stone.
Ville finds it especially rewarding to meet people during Konstrundan who are interested in art and his process. It’s great when the meeting happens in the artist’s studio – it can make the artist and their process more approachable than in a gallery setting.
"In the studio, it’s easy to see the process behind the artworks. It’s interesting to hear what people think about my pieces and to hear their own interpretations and thoughts on what the works evoke. It’s fun to meet new people – and also old acquaintances."
Ville Heimala is currently working on a public artwork for the Lappajärvi cultural nature trail. During the spring, five sculptures will be installed, with an opening event to follow. He is also working on a sculpture project in Espoo.