Mittens and other stories

Apron and mittens are tools of protection. They are worn while shoveling, harvesting, hammering, gardening, or cooking. They protect their user from dirt, heavy work, heat, and cold. They have come to symbolize work itself — the essence of manual labor. These apron and mittens, made of nickel silver and copper, are made using the skills I first learned over 30 years ago when I trained as a silversmith. With these works, I want to honor craftsmanship, and especially the tradition of smithing.

Eija Mustonen studied stone and silversmith and graduated with a Master of Arts degree from the University of Art and Design Helsinki, Finland in 2005. Since 1987, she has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Europe and the United States. In addition to her artistic career, Mustonen has worked as a jewellery art teacher, and in 2010 she began working as the head of fine arts education at Saimaa University of Applied Sciences, and since the beginning of 2020 at LAB University of Applied Sciences. She has coordinated and organized international jewellery events, such as Alchemy in 1997 and, subsequently, the KORU1234 events, which are jewellery triennials. She has been a member of the jury for several international competitions. She has received international awards such as Jugend Gestaltet in 1990, the Grand Prix at the Tallinn Triennial in 2000 and recently Herbert Hofmann Award in 2025. In addition to private collections, her works are held in the Montreal Fine Arts Museum, Canada; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA; CODA Museum, Apeldoorn, NL; the National Arts Council Collection, FI; Die Neue Sammlung – Design Museum. Danner Foundation Permanent Collection, Munich, Germany; Marzee Collection, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Rotasa Collection, USA.