Erika Turunen

Costume Designer

Erika Turunen has designed costumes for contemporary dance, ballet, opera and theatre since the 1990’s. Alongside her freelance work, she is Costume Designer at the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, where she was also Head of Costume Department from 1995 to 2009. Her latest works at the Opera include Das Rheingold (2019) and Don Giovanni (2020).

Turunen has attracted a lot of international attention for her work, which is characteristically rich in detail, often incorporating innovative constructions that blur the line between costume and set design. 

She has collaborated with Tero Saarinen since 2000. Turunen has designed costumes for many of TSC’s key productions, such as HUNT (2002), Borrowed Light (2004) and Kullervo (TSC with the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, 2015).

Turunen has also worked with Jorma Uotinen, Susanna Leinonen, Kenneth Kvarnström and Jo Strømgren, and designed costumes for Nederlands Dans Theater, the Lyon Opéra Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, Grand Théâtre de Genève, as well as the Operas of Malmö and Gothenburg. In 2007, she was in charge of costume design for The Eurovision Song Contest. At her design studio Ateljee Hurma, she also makes costumes for individual artists, as well as evening dresses. www.hurma.fi


``The very robust dance movements, with harsh angles, twists and turns, were emphasized by the spectacular costumes designed by Erika Turunen.``

- Berkshire Fine Arts, 16 July 2012 (USA) / Borrowed Light

”Mikki Kunttu is responsible for the lights and set design, and Erika Turunen for the costumes. Both are as exquisitely perfect as the rest of the show.”

- Demokraatti, 25 September 2022 (Finland) / VORTEX

“The other exceptional component is the design element as manifested in Mikki Kunttu's rapturous lighting and the gorgeous originality of Erika Turunen's costumes.“

The Globe and Mail, 2006 (Canada) / HUNT

``Erika Turunen’s futuristic costumes meld stubtly with the angular play of light``

- Teatteri & Tanssi + Sirkus, 13 March, 2015 (Finland) / Kullervo

”The costumes by Erika Turunen are beautiful, simple and functional.”

- Dansportalen, 27 September 2022 (Sweden) / VORTEX

``Erika Turunen’s gorgeous costumes put the dot on the i.``

- Paljon melua teatterista blog, 5 May 2017 (Finland) / Kullervo