In this series, we ask Imagination talent all about the experiences that have made them who they are. This month we spoke to Harri Närhi, Junior UX Designer at Imagination London.

A bit about me…

A sometimes moody but mostly light hearted student of life, linguist, former emo, everything-ponderer and urban wanderer.

The creative experience that’s influenced me the most…

Where to start… I’m influenced by so many things it’s honestly exhausting, from the way the leaves shimmer in the wind during golden hour, to the oddly satisfying feeling of bleach burning my scalp, I like to think every day has the potential to surprise me.

But if I had to really narrow it down, it would have to be the 2015 Barbican play Kafka on the Shore, based on the novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. For many years, I refused to read anything written by anyone else, so when I heard that it was being turned into a play at the Barbican, I was intrigued. Every single detail of this three hour spectacle was planned and executed meticulously, and if you’ve ever read any of his surreal and downright complex books, you’ll know that’s no mean feat. From the way the staging reflected the parallel story lines to the poetic set designs that transported the viewer from wild forests to neon-lit urban dystopias, my jaw did not leave the floor. Safe to say I shed many tears.

My industry hero is…

Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki. When I was young, my parents and I used to watch his films together and they’ve stayed with me ever since. It’s hard to put to words exactly what it is about his art that I love so much, but it’s made me feel so much closer to my Finnish heritage and given me a lens through which to understand so much of the culture, humour and mentality. He also tends to film in harbours a lot. I really love harbours.

The piece of work I’m most proud of…

At the end of my photography MA, I helped put on an exhibition at the Truman Brewery along with my fellow classmates. It was the first time I had done anything like this on such a public scale, and it took months of planning, marketing, curating and fighting imposter syndrome. The opening night felt very surreal, and the gallery was packed with friends, family and actual industry people looking at my work. The whole event was a massive success despite me never quite becoming an internationally renowned urban photographer, and I’ll remember it forever.

The piece of work that makes me cringe…

I previously worked for a news magazine and one of my tasks was to come up with snappy social media posts. I’ve mainly pushed these to the furthest reaches of my brain but I remember writing far too many bee-related puns… People seemed to like them (me not so much), but it was a good exercise in doing what needed to be done.

The experience I wish I had created…

Questomatica’s Wake Up! escape room in Amsterdam. A truly mind-bending, unpredictable, sensorial and outright silly experience that I would recommend to anyone who likes solving puzzles whilst feeling an impending sense of doom and failure.

Advice to my 18-year-old self…

Take inspiration from others but don’t waste time comparing yourself to them. And don’t be so hard on yourself – perfection is a myth.

What’s next?

I’m currently working on an internal project which is really fun because I enjoy getting stuck into messy situations and figuring my way out haha… let’s see where we end up!