Heikki Seppä

Heikki Seppä (March 8, 1927 – May 18, 2010) was a Finnish American master metalsmith,^[1] educator, and author. Born in Säkkijärvi, Finland. In 1941 he studied metalsmithing at in Helsinki, and later at the Georg Jensen silver factory in Copenhagen.^[2] In 1950 he emigrated with his first wife to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Then they moved to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan where he attended Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Career[]

Seppä taught art in Louisville, Kentucky (1960–1965) then at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts at Washington University in St. Louis from 1965 till his retirement at 1992 as Professor Emeritus. He is a founding member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths.^[3] His metal sculptures are in private collections, as well as in museums including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Replicas of Seppä's sculpture "The Search" are given to awardees of the 's "Search Award" at Washington University.^[4]

Personal life[]

For much of his childhood, Seppä lived in a children's home until leaving at age 14 to attend the . His first wife emigrated with him from Finland and they stayed together until her passing in 1993. In 1998, he moved to Bainbridge Island, Washington and married metalsmith . He died at his Bainbridge home at age 83.^[5]

Awards[]

• American Craft Council Fellow and national treasure 1987
• Art and Education Council Award, St. Louis 1996
• The Hans Christiansen award, Society of American Silversmiths 2003

Bibliography[]

• Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths (1978) ISBN 978-0-87338-212-0

References[]