Search results
Minna Carolina Mathilde Louise "Loja" Gesellius (March 15, 1879 – April 21, 1968) was a Finnish-American textile artist and sculptor. She founded the weaving department at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan.
As a landscape gardener, Loja designed not only the Saarinen House landscape, selecting the textures of the shrubs and trees like a weaver selecting yarns, but also designed the iconic landscape surrounding the Triton Pools in front of Cranbrook Art Museum.
Mar 9, 2021 · Loja Saarinen created a studio that produced rugs, wall hangings, and more, starting in the 1920s. Here's the story behind it.
She founded Studio Loja Saarinen, a renowned weaving studio that produced textiles for Cranbrook and received commissions from across the US. Her work reflects the Modernism movement, and she collaborated closely with her husband, architect Eliel Saarinen.
She founded and led Studio Loja Saarinen from 1928 to 1942, creating handwoven rugs, curtains, and fabrics for clients around the nation with a dedicated team of Swedish immigrant weavers. The Studio’s painterly, geometric textiles complete the architectural vision of Cranbrook as a Gesamtkunstwerk , or total work of art.
Dec 29, 2021 · After years of focusing on architect Eliel Saarinen, the Cranbrook Art Museum is centering Loja Saarinen, the head of Cranbrook's weaving department and studio, in their story.
Loja Saarinen. March 16, 1879 – April 21, 1968. Minna Carolina Mathilde Louise “Loja” Gesellius was the fifth daughter of Hermann Otto Gesellius, a food importer, and Emilie Karoline Auguste Struckmann. Loja’s parents emigrated from Germany to Finland, and she was born in the latter’s capital city, Helsinki.
