I chose a visual way to be a storyteller. One of my passion have always been clothes and fabrics. It was clear for me to combine those two and start to tell stories as a textile designer.

 

The sketches for my designs are always hand made. I like to try different techniques and materials, and at the moment I’m interested of very slow techniques like paper cutting and woodcut. With these meditative techniques I receive just a right kind of rustic feeling to my patterns.

 

I’m inspired everything I see around me, travelling, architecture and little details. I enjoy wandering in my hometown Helsinki like a tourist, slowly looking at houses, colors and city nature.There are so many details which I would like to stop draw or take photos.

 

I’ve graduated as Master of Arts from University of Art and Design Helsinki at 2007 and I’ve been working as a freelance designer since then. I’m also running my own small accessories label Mary a. jalava together with designer Veera Moilanen. From 2017 I’ve been part of Patterns from agency.

 

My goal as a designer is to delight people with patterns and stories they tell.

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CV