Camilla completed a traditional education in ceramics at an early age. She worked as an apprentice at the Gamla Stans Krukmakeri Pottery in the Old Town of Stockholm for 2 years 1992-93. Then she continued specializing in wood firing at the Studio of Daniel König in the Stockholm archipelago for yet another year.
Moving to Finland she began her Ba studies at the UIAH University of Art and Design Helsinki.With an exchange period at the Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam she graduated in 1999. She then went on to study for an Ma at the Royal College of Art in London.
After her graduation in 2001 she has worked for companies in Italy, Switzerland, England and Japan. She was invited as a designer in residence to Gifu prefecture in Japan 2001 and has since been working on several projects for ceramic companies in the area of Mizunami and Seto etc.
Many of her projects such as the Camouflage project and the Section vases etc have been exhibited widely in design events and museums from Finland to New York, Milan, Tokyo and London.
She is also a founding member of the Design Migration organisation that aims to connect young designers with manufacturers. www.designmigration.com
Camilla now lives in Helsinki, Finland and is conducting research in Design and Crafts. She defended her Doctoral Dissertation in Design at the Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture in 2017.
EDUCATION AND DEGREES AWARDED
2012-2017 DA, Doctor of Arts, Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Helsinki, Finland.
Title of dissertation: Making Sense Through Hands: Design and Craft Practice Analysed as Embodied Cognition. Opponent: Katherine Townsend. Supervisors: Maarit Mäkelä & Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen.
1999-2001 MA, Royal College of Art, London, UK. Ceramics and Glass.
1996-1999 BA, University of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland. Ceramics and Glass.
2017 Upcoming degree: DA, Doctor of Arts, Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Helsinki Finland. Title of dissertation: Making Sense Through Hands: Design and Craft practice analysed as embodied cognition. Opponent: Katherine Townsend.
Supervisors: Maarit Mäkelä & Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen. External Reviewers: Katherine Townsend & Anne Louise Bang.
OTHER EDUCATION, TRAINING AND SKILLS
2013 Basic project management course, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland.
1998 01-07/ Socrates study exchange period at Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Ceramic department.
1994-1996 Open University, Helsinki, Finland. Approbatur in Art history and Aesthetics.
1993-1994 Ceramic craft apprenticeship, Master Daniel König, specializing in woodfirings. Ingarö, Sweden.
1991-1993 Ceramic craft apprenticeship, Master Åke Jernewall, Gamla Stan’s Krukmakeri, Stockholm, Sweden.
1989 – 1991 Practical aesthetic education, specialized in ceramics. Fredrika Bremer Gymnasium, Stockholm, Sweden.
CURRENT POSITION
2017 – Visiting Researcher at HSN University College of Southeast Norway, Telemark. Department of Visual and Performing Arts, in the EMAL – Embodied Making and Learning research group.
PROFFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1994 – Studio Camilla Groth – Founder of ceramic and glass design company.
2002 – 2003 Visiting Designer, Gifu Design Council, Japan.
2001 Designer in Residence Gifu Design Council, Japan.
1999 Landscape architecture, Public art project, Kotkan Energia, Finland.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2016 – 2017 Teacher of Master students’ Thesis Seminars. Department of Design, Aalto University.
2013-2016 Lectures on touch in the course Aistien Maailma – World of the Senses, “The sense of touch and embodied cognition” Department of Art, Aalto University.
2013-2016 Ceramic Material Research lectures “Ajattelu materiaalin kautta” (Thinking through material), Department of Design, Aalto University.
2015 Coordinator of the Personal Project student conference, Aalto University, Department of Design, 2-3 Sept 2015. (pet2015.aalto.fi)
2015 Assisting teacher in Design Theory and Methodology, Department of Design, Aalto University.
2014 – 2015 Personal Project Tutor, Department of Design, Aalto University.
2014 Assisting teacher in the Design Exploration and Experimentation Module,Department of Design, Aalto University.
2006 Visiting lecturer, University of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland
2002 Visiting lecturer, Central St Martins School of Art. London, UK.
2001 Lecture series at Mizunami Ceramic Research Center, Japan.
1995 – 1999 Ceramic course teacher, Open University Arbis, Finland.
MEMBERSHIPS AND ACADEMIC SERVICE
2017- Member of SAR – Society for Artistic Research.
2016- Member of NORDFO – Nordiskt Forum för Forskning och utvecklings-arbete inom utbildning I slöjd.
2015 – 2016 Member of the Design Research Society (DRS) 2016 Conference review committee.
2014 – 2017 Student Member of the Design Research Society.
1999 – Member of ORNAMO Finnish Association of Designers
LEADERSHIP IN RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS AND EVENTS
Assignments
2017 Coordinator of the Art of Research Conference, 29-30 November 2017, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland. (www.artofresearch2017.aalto.fi/)
2016 Session Chair and Presenter at the Embodied Making and Learning session, Design Research Society (DRS) Conference 27-30 June, Brighton, UK.
2014 Session Chair and Presenter at the Design Research Society Conference, Umeå, Sweden during June 16-19.
2014 Facilitator of the Art of Research Conference, 26-27 November 2014, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland. (http://designresearch.aalto.fi/events/aor2014/)
2014 Coordinator of Academy of Finland, Handling Mind public research seminar at the Design Forum showroom, 27.03.2014
public presentations
2016 Conference presentations at the Make it NOW! Learning, Exploring, Understanding – International NordFo-Conference in Rauma, Finland 28-30 September. “Video as a tool for knowing in craft practice” and “Methods for research on experiential and embodied knowledge”.
2015 Seminar Presentation at Learn x Design Conference, Chicago, US. “Design and craft thinking analysed as a form of embodied cognition”Chicago, 28 June – 1 july.
2015 Presentation during the Artistic needs and institutional desires symposium and round-table discussions on artistic 3-rd cycle education. “Researching making through making: the practitioners point of view”. Berlin University of the Arts, Berlin, 13-15 November.
2014 Conference presentation in the Art in Translation conference, Reykjavik, Iceland, September 17-20. “Articulating experiential knowing: video as a tool for knowing in craft practice”.
2014 Poster session on the Handling mind project achievements: Academy of Finland, Human Mind Seminar at Glo Hotel. 29.09.2014
Invited lectures
2015 Invited lecture on practice-led research in the course Body based practices, Telemark University College, Bö Campus, Norway. 3 December.
2015 Invited lecture at the Reykjavik school of visual arts, “How does the crafts person think through her hands?” Iceland. 13 March.
2015 Invited presentation at Architecture departments public research seminar, “Researching practice through practice: the practitioners point of view”. Aalto University, Otaniemi Campus. 17 September.
2014 Artists’ public lecture during the exhibition “Ceramics & Space”, Design Museum, Helsinki. “Taiteilija tutkijana” (artist as a researcher). 9.12.2014
ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP AND ORGANISATIONAL ACTIVITY
2017 – Design ambassador at SuoMu – the Finnish Association of Design Education.
2001 – Founding member of Design Migration Association.
SUPERVISION AND EXAMINATION OF STUDENTS
Ma Supervision
2017 – Supervision of Veera Siiras’ MA thesis in Ceramics
2016 – Supervision of Minna Hanhivaaras’ MA thesis in Ceramics
2015 Supervision of Veera Tamminens’ MA thesis in Ceramics
2015 Supervision of Tatu Vuorios’ MA thesis in Painting
Ba Supervision
2016 Supervision of Pilvi Hussis’ BA thesis in Ceramics
2015 Supervision of Sofi Perikankaas’ BA thesis in Ceramics
Ma Examination
2015 Examiner of Eero Heinänens’ MA thesis in Jewellery
2008 Examiner of Lotta Fagerholms’ MA thesis in Ceramics
Ba Examination
2015 Examiner of Sofi Perikankaas’ BA thesis in Ceramics
PUBLIC ART
1998 Public art piece, “Jatulintarha” 40m x 30m stone labyrinth in the Windmill Park Tuulipuisto, Kotka, Finland.
AWARDS, PRICES AND HONOURS
2013 Finnish Cultural Foundation; Funding for international exhibitions for the Design Migration Association.
2011 Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland; Exhibition in the Design Museum.
2008 Finnish Cultural Foundation; Building of my ceramic workshop.
2006 Finnish Cultural Foundation; Ceramic prototype development.
2004 Good Design Award: “Pokela” recycle clay tableware.
2003 Arts Promotion Centre, Finland; Exhibition in London, UK.
2002 Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland; Exhibition.
2001 Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland; Scholarship for Studies abroad.
2001 Finnish Cultural Foundation: Scholarship for Studies abroad.
2001 The Royal Society of Art’s (RSA) 1 price winner of ceramic design competition; Student design award; Wedgwood travel award.
COLLECTIONS
Finnish State Art Commission: Tactile Landscapes.