Creative firms in the West Midlands have been inspiring Nordic connoisseurs of design after a trade visit to Finland.
In a bid to exploit international markets, creative artists from Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire made the trip to Helsinki to display their work at the British Embassy.
The delegation - which included illustrators, sculptors, artists and furniture makers - displayed their work to an audience of around 150 guests at the event.
The group also travelled to Estonia where the British Embassy in Tallinn had arranged visits and meetings with prospective buyers.
Paul Powis, an artist and illustrator in Worcester, attended the event with his partner Sara Hayward. He said both of them had benefited form the experience and were likely to exhibit their work again in Finland.
Mr Powis said: "Galleries in Turku - the cultural centre of the country - have expressed an interest in our work and we are also in negotiation on the possibility of lecturing at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki.
"Exhibiting at embassies certainly seems a good way to make inroads into a country."
The Creative Industries Showcase was organised by Paul Thompson, international trade advisor at Business Link West Mercia. The visit was part of the Passport to Export scheme - a UK Trade and Investment programme designed to help new and novice exporters.
Mr Thompson said: " Finland has an international reputation in art and design.
"It was a good opportunity for British artists to measure themselves."
