About me

Hi there, and welcome to my online portfolio!

My name is Susanna (Suski) Suurla, and I am a costume designer and performance maker with over 20 years of professional experience in the performing arts.

Throughout my career, I have worked as a costume designer and maker, prop maker, video artist, spatial designer, performer, and backstage worker. I have designed costumes for contemporary dance, ballet and circus, revues, site-specific performance, theatre, children’s plays and more.

Currently I work as a doctoral researcher at Aalto University, Finland, where I have been teaching costume design since 2019.

Both my research and artistic interests centre on materially informed creative processes and body-awareness-based performance-making practices.

About my artistic research

My practice-led research project, developed as part of my doctoral studies at Aalto University (2021- present) explores the enriching potential of materially oriented, embodied, and reflective devising methods in the field of costume design. The research contributes to the growing recognition of devised, process-oriented methods in performance-making, offering pedagogical tools and new insights for costume design in devised performance.

Currently, my doctoral research is situated within the ‘Embodied Experience of Costume’ research project (2022-24, 2025-26, PI Sofia Pantouvaki) at Aalto University.

https://research.aalto.fi/en/persons/susanna-suurla

ORCID: 0000-0002-8250-0847

Research Publications

Suurla, S (2024) ‘Bringing ‘it’ out of the body and into matter – fostering a contemplative and corresponsive methodology for costume design pedagogy’, Studies in Costume and Performance, 9/ Issue Costume and Pedagogy, pp. 115-132. https://doi.org/10.1386/scp_00114_1

Pantouvaki, S., Fossheim, I. & Suurla, S. (2022) ‘Costume and Sustainability: From Past Practice to Future Strategies for an Ecological Costume Praxis’, Peripeti, 19/37, 72-85. https://tidsskrift.dk/peripeti/article/view/135192

Pantouvaki, S., Fossheim, I. & Suurla, S. (2021) ’Thinking with Costume and Material: A Critical Approach to (New) Costume Ecologies’, Theatre & Performance Design journal, 7/3-4, 199-219. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23322551.2021.2002056

Translation (Finnish to English) and co-development of my colleague’s book chapter: Väisänen, M. (2021) ‘Designing Hospital Clown Costumes: Psychological and Social Benefits for Finnish Children’s Healthcare’, in Pantouvaki, S. & McNeil, P. (eds.), Performance Costume: New Perspectives and Methods, London/New York: Bloomsbury Academic.

Suurla, S. (2018) ‘Material Transformations – Making as a Catalyst of Experience’. SYNNYT/ORIGINS 3/2018, 379-403. https://wiki.aalto.fi/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=145123907&preview=/145123907/148281746/Suurla.pdf

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Suurla, S., Kilumanga, A. & Ovtchinnikova, A. (2015). ‘Mikä ihmeen kriittinen kostyymi?’ Meteli, 2/2015.  

Artistic works

Upcoming
(2026) Everyday matters & ordinary things (contemporary dance). Overall idea, costume design, and co-concept development and object choreography with the working group.In collaboration with dance artist Elina Hauta-aho and choreographer Heli Keskikallio.

Contemporary ballet
(2025) Gale, costume design. Choreography Minna Tervamäki,DanceWorks Helsinki, Alexander Theatre, Helsinki
(2025) Into thin air,costume design. Choreography Anu Sistonen,DanceWorks Helsinki, Alexander Theatre, Helsinki

Contemporary dance
(2022) Mysteerio Animus, costume design and realization, object choreography, co-spatial design with the working group. Dance artist Elina Hauta-aho and musician Eero Savela. Barker Theatre, Turku (2022) and Maunulatalo, Helsinki (2023)
(2021) and Life, costume design and realization, object choreography, co-spatial design and content development with the working group. Director: Elina Hauta-aho. Maunulatalo, Helsinki
(2017) Parts of Life, costume design, Choreography: Disa Krosness. FREEcollective – A collective of independent dance artists. Kanneltalo, Helsinki
(2015) La Valse – kahden pianon tanssiorkesteri, co-costume design (with Lauren Sever). Director: Pianist Maija Parko. Sibelius Academy and Aalto ARTS, Musiikkitalo, Helsinki

Process-based theatre
(2019) Kissed by the Isness, performing and video design, co-content development, light design and co-spatial design with working group. Director: Maria Hyökyvaara. Kissed by the Isness working group. Kiasma theatre, Helsinki
(2018) Kiss my per…son, performing and video design, co-conceptual development with the working group. Director: Maria Hyökyvaara. Kissed by the Isness working group, Kanneltalo, Helsinki
(2018) Rädslomässa / Fear Convention (site-specific performance), costume design and realization, co-conceptual development with working group. Director: Piia Peltola. Blaue Frau feminist theatre group. Puotila shopping centre, Helsinki
(2018) Virkavalta, costume design, co-conceptual development with working group. Director: Piia Peltola. Riihimäen Teatteri, Riihimäki
(2016) Vääriä ääniä tikit kierossa (contemporary clownery), idea and conceptual + content development with Maija Parko, clowning, visual design and costume design. Director: Helena Leminen.Vuotalo, Helsinki
(2016) Beverly Hills 90210 – play, costume design, co-content development with the working group. Director: Piia Peltola. Uniarts Theatre Academy and Aalto ARTS, Helsinki

Revues and musical theatre
(2020) Hätävara, costume design and realization. Director: Viivi Saarela. Teatteri Perikunta, Riihimäki
(2019) Seitsemäs ihme, costume design and realization, props. Director: Viivi Saarela. Teatteri Perikunta, Riihimäki
(2014) Kizzat -children’s musical, costume design and realization. Director: Katri Kauppala Lenkkiteatteri, Helsinki

Contemporary circus
(2016) Nuanc3d, costume design and realization. Director: Pirjo Yli-Maunula. Circus and Music association Agit Cirk. Stoa, Helsinki
(2015) Sceno, costume design and realization. Director: Sakari Männistö. Circus and Music association Agit Cirk. Cirko, Helsinki

Theatre plays
(2015) Antigone Reloaded, co-costume design (with Tiina Hauta-aho). Director: Janne Pellinen. Aalto ARTS, Uniarts Theatre Academy and Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, Athens, Greece
(2011) Kalju Laulajatar (Bald Soprano), costume design. Director: Koen de Sutter. Espoo City Theatre, Espoo
(2011) Rautavaara – Oulunkylän tähti, costume design and realization, props, stage manager. Director: Maria Hyökyvaara. Lenkkiteatteri, Helsinki
(2010) Tursaspyyhekumi, costume design and realization, props, set painting. Director: Katri Kauppala. Rinnakkaisnäyttämö Ry, Espan lava, Helsinki
(2010) Purista perkele!, costume design and realization, props, stage manager. Director: Maria Hyökyvaara. Lenkkiteatteri, Helsinki
(2008) Kolme versiota elämästä, costume design. Director: Katri Kauppala. Metropolia University of Applied Science, Helsinki
(2007) Frida Kahlo – Rakkaus ja rohkeus, costume design and realization. Director: Krista Petäjäjärvi. Metropolia University of Applied Science, Helsinki
(2006) Pyykkipäivä, costume design. Director: Krista Petäjäjärvi. Kellariteatteri, Helsinki
(2006) Matkustaja / Passagerare, costume design and video content. Maria Hyökyvaara. Metropolia University of Applied Science, Helsinki
(2006) Lulu, costume design. Director: Ville Sandqvist. Theatre Academy, Helsinki
(2006) Urpo ja Turpo – Hirmuinen Äm (children’s play), costume design and realization, props. Director: Maria Sarkkinen. Metropolia University of Applied Science, Helsinki/ Maarianvaaran teatteri, Outokumpu.
(2005) Mimesis, costume design and realization. Director: Krista Petäjäjärvi. Ilves-Teatteri, metsänäyttämö, Helsinki
(2005) Kesävieraita, costume design. Director: Seppo-Ilmari Siitonen. Metropolia University of Applied Science, Helsinki

Other audiovisual work

(2018) Skin, video performance, costume design and performer, Kiss my Per..son performance
(2014) Kizzat – music instruction videos for children, costume design and creation, illustrations. Director: Jenni Rahunen. Music Drive In.
(2010) I Am Going to See (video performance), costume designer. Director: Krista Petäjäjärvi

Exhibitions

(2018) Edges of the Existent, Installation, as part of the Rädslomässa performance.
(2017) Edges of the Existent, Artefact, Art of Research 2017 Conference, Aalto University.
(2016) Edges of the Existent, Installation, MA Thesis exhibition, Galleria Laterna Magica, Helsinki, Aalto University.
(2015) The Other Side, Installation, June 2015, Finnish Student Exhibition, Praque Quadreannial of Performance Design and Space 2015, Prague, Czechia. Gold Medal for the Best Exposition in the Student Section, Contribution: Student working group member. [Working group: Anders Karls, Dan Palarie, Guy Dowsett, Heli Salomaa, Ina Saarinen, Joanna Wojciechowicz, Lauren Sever, Mimosa Norja, Niklas Pöllönen, Oscar Eriksson Furunes, Paola Guzman Figueroa, Susanna Suurla, Teo Paaer (Aalto ARTS) & Eero Erkamo (Theatre Academy, Uniarts Helsinki)].