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Pile of Vipers is a repetitive tile design inspired by the viper snakes emerging from their winter brumation in the spring. The pattern was pressed on clay tiles using a 3D-printed pattern roll, and the colouring created with black engobe and sgraffito technique.
In ancient Finnish belief systems, snakes were revered as powerful beings— messengers that could move between the underworld Alinen, and our own middle world, Keskinen, and were therefore both respected and feared.
As a child, I often witnessed the sorrowful sight of vipers being killed when discovered near homes. I learned early on to fear snakes, to treat them with caution—perhaps even revulsion. While creating the Kyykasa tile series, I found myself drawn into numerous conversations about snakes, about fear, and ultimately about my own relationship with them.
In 2023, Finland’s new Nature Conservation Act granted the viper snake legal protection for the first time. Yet the law still permits their killing if perceived as a threat near dwellings, and allows for the destruction of their habitats. Protecting this ancient, gliding spirit animal of the forest will require continued attention—and care.
One tile 13 cm x 20 cm
9 tiles
Handbuilt stoneware, pigments
Exhibited at AAVA 2024 by Pursu Ry.