Kaisa Savolainen

Biography

Kaisa Savolainen (born 1980 in Sonkajärvi) is a costume designer based in Tampere. She has been working as a costume designer for over 20 years creating costumes for over 70 performing art productions, mostly theatre but also circus and burlesque. Savolainen began her Master's studies at Aalto University in the autumn of 2023, where she has broadened her expertise to include film. During her studies, she has participated in an exhibition showcasing work from the Special Materials and Techniques -course. In her project, she explored the fleshy and embodied nature of plant-based materials. She also explores themes of embodiment in her thesis.

Photo credit: Kaisa Savolainen 

Streetwear – Lost and Found collections

2024-2025

36 pieces 10X15 cm each

printed photographs

In my practice, I reflect on the material nature of objects, exploring the shifting boundaries between their various states. At what point does an object, discarded on the ground, transform from being lost or discarded into something that becomes an element of art? Drawing extensively on Tim Ingold’s theories of the fluid, ever-evolving nature of objects, I engage with the continuous movement inherent in the creative process. My work is inherently organic and dynamic, with the objects I encounter and the spaces in which they are found guiding the visual expression of each piece.

Additionally, my practice delves into the concepts of performativity and embodiment. Edited photographs featuring found objects are placed within a fashionable context, but they resist the conventions of traditional model imagery. Furthermore, when images captured in a private space are integrated into the public environment, the private body and its embodiment are redefined as a form of public performance.