laura VALOJÄRVI

I’m a researcher with a designer’s mindset. A mentor and an illustrator. Passionate about chili chocolate and Copenhagen, but also, about making things better by making better things and doing work that matters for people who care.

I hold a Master of Arts degree in Art Education and I am finalizing my Doctor of Arts (DA) studies at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. My Doctoral Dissertation investigates creative wellbeing and the complexity of the creative process.

I have worked as an acclaimed illustrator for over a decade now and taught at the departments of Art and Media in Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture since 2011. I was in charge of designing, launching and teaching the first ever illustration studies at the university level in Finland, when illustration minor studies began in Aalto University in 2016. When I am not deep diving into the world of illustrations, I can usually be found enjoying delicacies at the local pastry shops or in my kitchen making new pastry innovations.