HELSINKI ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2020
The award is given to Helsinki artists representing different fields of art. The year 2020, the artists who are pioneers in their respective fields have been highlighted: Kirsi Manninen, Master of Arts, costume designer, scenographer.
I am a Helsinki-based costume designer, a teacher of digital drawing and a doctoral candidate at Aalto University. My current activities move fluently between research, design and teaching.
I am one of the pioneers of teaching digital drawing and its techniques on the touch screen in the context of costume design. I have taught designers in different institutions in Finland and internationally: Aalto University, London College of Fashion: UAL, University of the Arts London, Prague Quadrennial (the world's largest theatre architecture exhibition) and (Teme) Trade Union for Theatre and Media Finland.
Decades experience as a costume designer includes over one hundred design work on the movies, plays, and a wide range of audio-visual works. I have been working on TV1, theatres, film productions and in small free groups. I have experience with various forms of theatre: drama, comedy, circus, dance, shadow theater, black theater, puppetry, beijing opera, ice dance, mask theater, and multimedia. I have also been responded for the total visual design; designed masks, hairstyles and sets for the performances. As special skills I manage demanding costume design for circus and dance performances. After working since 1982 for Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth, I have been creating successful international organization, which visual image has been my responsibility.
CURRENT POSITION
Doctoral candidate at the Department of Art and Media - New Media, Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Finland. The topic of my research is Digital Transformation and Vocational Excellence in Costume Design
Education
2015 Doctoral Candiidatr at Aalto University
2005 University of Industrial Arts, New and old techniques in costume designing
2003 University of Industrial Art., Designing textiles and clothes by computer
(10 study weeks)
1997 DAMU, Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts,
Praque, Department of Stage Design, Scenography
1984 Macintosh Falcon, Netherlands, Fashion Design Training
1986 University of Industrial Arts in Helsinki,
Master of Arts Degree in Costume Design
1981 Academy of Design, Kuopio, Costume design