Born (1969) and raised in Finland, studied art in the USA (Master of Arts in Fine Arts, Ceramic Sculpture, Northern Arizona University), has lived and worked as a freelance artist, lecturer and curator in Germany since 1994. Her artistic work focuses on concept-based mixed media spatial works alongside situational outdoor sculptures. “As an artist, I am interested in the wealth of tensions that can be activated within a walk-in space with visual elements in an interdisciplinary way.” Since 1993, teaching ceramic art at various universities and institutions has been one of her core tasks. Since 2017, Merja Herzog-Hellstén has been a lecturer for special tasks at the HfG Offenbach and head of the Art Laboratory, now the Ceramic Art Laboratory (CAL) in the Höchster Porzellanmanufaktur, which is affiliated to the HfG.