Ecologies in the Making: Sculpting Futures 2025 residency artist Harriina Räinä, reflects on her time in Scotland, first on residency at Cove Park in Argyll and Bute, followed by residency at SSW.
The aim of the Ecologies in the Making: Sculpting Futures residency is to support visual artists to study and develop ecological methods and contexts for their artistic practice. This residency is made possible for Academy of Fine Arts alumni through the Uniarts Helsinki’s Academy of Fine Arts and Saastamoinen Foundation partnership program International Networks in Fine Arts.
Words below by Harriina Räinä, images by Felicity Crawshaw, Tommy Ga-Ken Wan and SSW.
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Soil, Shells and the People Around Them
I spent four summer months taking part in the Ecologies in the Making: Sculpting Futures residency in Scotland, a program that supports visual artists in exploring and developing more ecological methods and contexts for their work. The residency is divided into two parts: the first two months take place at Cove Park, located on the Rosneath Peninsula near Glasgow, and the second two months at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop, based in Aberdeenshire.
I applied to the residency with an idea that had been on my mind for a long time: how waste-stream shells could be turned into sculptures that might also act as soil improvers. Rather than simply pointing to the problematic nature of animal-derived materials, I wanted to consider whether the surplus from animal production – in this case aquaculture – could be used in a way that would have a positive impact on its environment.
The research question felt like a natural continuation of my practice, as I have previously explored the use of animal-derived materials in visual art, and my work as a whole has long been intertwined with the ways humans relate to and perceive other animal species. Scotland felt like a natural place to approach the topic, as there is a great deal of shellfish farming – and consequently, a large amount of waste generated from it. In addition, I wanted to learn how to build ceramic supports for the soil-improving sculptures, and the sculpture workshop seemed like the perfect place to practice this.
The first two months of the program took place at Cove Park – a socially active international residency set in a stunning coastal location – where I had my own quiet studio and apartment, and access to communal spaces. Cove Park offered excellent conditions and support for background research, material collection, making contacts, and creating the first versions of the soil-improving sculptures. I had long dreamed of spending an extended period by the tides, and Cove Park’s coastal location was one of the motivations for applying to this particular residency. It allowed me to observe the lives of various shellfish species in their natural environment. The rhythm of the receding and returning sea also places the human being within a larger, planetary scale.
I made several trips with the residency car to a local oyster and blue mussel farm by Loch Fyne, from where I was able to collect a large amount of shells. Driving on narrow, winding roads – and on the left side of the road – required some courage, especially as the weather was often foggy and rainy. One of the most striking moments of the early residency period was a night I spent cleaning four large buckets of dirty shells, one by one – the distance to the recently deceased animal felt almost nonexistent. The experience was very different from collecting shells along the nearby shores, which I also did on a smaller scale. In the end, I decided to gather more litter than shells from the beaches.
Oysters in particular hold a luxury status today, yet once the shells end up in waste piles, there is nothing luxurious about them. I spent a great deal of time engaging closely with the material — crushing shells and experimenting with plant-based binders.
Through and with the support of Cove Park, I met several inspiring fellow artists, and other art professionals. As I was working with a local material and theme, I also made an effort to engage with the people and environment of the peninsula. I took part in a geology walk, beach clean-ups, bracken clearing to protect local habitats, and a women’s community singing group that met outdoors by the shoreline. Together with Cove Park, we also organised a discussion event with a local environmental group, where we spoke about my work and process.
The second part of the residency took place at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop, an organisation focused on sculptural methods and committed to community engagement and accessibility. The workshop is located in the countryside, in the small village of Lumsden, surrounded by hills. All workspaces and some of the living areas are shared, creating a warm and communal atmosphere. Having already developed my soil-improving sculptures at Cove Park, I decided to begin by focusing more intensively on learning to make ceramic supports for them.
Ceramic technician Amy Benzie introduced me to the world of different clays, glazes, firings, and plaster mould making. Originally, I wanted to work mainly with local wild clay, which we also went to collect, but in the end, I decided to use several different types of clay. Making my own glazes was fascinating, and the powder I had made from calcium carbonate–rich shells became an important component in the final mixtures. At the workshop, I also took part in a short stone-carving introduction, as I have long been interested in limestone – a material formed from the shells of marine animals millions of years ago. However, limestone will have to wait for another time.
In addition to ceramics, I continued developing the soil-improving sculptures. The facilities and technical support at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop were extremely helpful for this, as I was for example able to heat the shells at different temperatures in the kiln. There were challenges along the way, as some of the pieces either cracked or moulded during the drying process. Developing something new always requires patience, and having a longer residency period with well-equipped facilities and supportive staff greatly benefited the process. The workshop’s peaceful rural setting also made it an excellent place for deep focus and immersion in the work.
Now, about a month after the end of the Ecologies in the Making: Sculpting Futures residency, it feels remarkable how much could happen over the course of four months. What began as reflective and inquisitive research gradually shifted into an intense period of learning and immersion in the properties of different materials.
One of the greatest gifts of the residency was also the many social encounters – both brief and longer-lasting. Towards the end, the residency even felt a little too social at times, and in true Finnish fashion, I often retreated to the nearby woods to recharge. Both residency locations were breathtakingly beautiful, and beyond the human connections, it felt deeply meaningful to form relationships with the local environments and their multispecies life.
I want to warmly thank everyone who made the residency possible and rewarding: Cove Park and the Scottish Sculpture Workshop and their teams – especially Alexia Holt and Sam Trotman for all your support; the artists and art professionals I met – especially Sayan Chanda for your friendship; the local people and organisations – especially the Cove and Kilcreggan Green Group for the open dialogue; and the Uniarts Helsinki’s Academy of Fine Arts and the Saastamoinen Foundation for making this residency possible.
