Maarit Kalmakurki

Dr. Maarit Kalmakurki is a scenographer and academic, specialised in digital costume design. She works as a Principal Lecturer in Design and is the head of Digital and Performance Costume- degree program at Xamk – South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences. At Xamk, she also leads the digital costume design part in a Creative Europe funded project Time for (S)heroes (2024–28). Maarit’s doctoral thesis (Aalto University, 2021) investigated digital character costume design in computer-animated feature films. This pioneering work has been recognised by the industry and media, such as The Walt Disney Animation and The New York Times. She has digitally constructed historical clothing in international, multidisciplinary research projects Refashioning the Renaissance and Visualising Lost Theatres. Maarit has received Eino Salmelainen foundation’s Theatre Arts Recognition- award and the Herbert D. Greggs Honor Award for her costume history article.

CiF supported Maarit to develop her doctoral thesis monograph and positively championed her in preparing presentations for conferences and public lectures. CiF members gave also valuable feedback to her articles and book chapters which she published alongside working on her thesis.