Hanna Piipponen

Биография

Master Shoemaker Hanna Piipponen is specialized in Traditional Karelian & Modern Designs. After years of formal study and apprenticeship, she inherited her sun-bathed studio and all of its precious machines and tools from Martti, the shoemaker that was there for decades before her. Bringing her background as a fine artist and clear creative voice, she’s made it her own. Honoring her heritage, Hanna focuses on Karelian-style shoes with their iconic upturned toe - that she sews by hand with pitch thread she prepares herself from linen thread and sticky pine resin (pitch) and threaded with wild board bristle. Making shoes the old fashioned way takes perseverance and dedication. Through her quiet yet powerful presence, Hanna expresses that tenfold. Hanna trusts that there is a place for traditional techniques in a modern world - she feels through her craft it’s her responsibility to keep that spirit alive.