Suomen Käsityön Ystävät

The group Suomen Käsityön Ystävät, or Friends of Finnish Handicraft, was founded in 1879 in Helsinki, Finland by the landscape painter Fanny Churberg. The primary model for the group was the Swedish craft organization, Handarbetets Vänner (Friends of Handicraft).[1] Churberg recognized the increasing erasure of Finnish craft traditions at the end of the nineteenth century, and sought to create an association that would provide more creative opportunities for female artisans.[2] The initial phase of creative production associated with the group involved handwoven textiles that looked towards the past for inspiration, incorporating traditional Finnish patterns and motifs. By 1920, this focus shifted to... more.