VISITING EXHIBITION

Juha Olavi Karppinen
“Times bygone“ – wooden sculptures and reliefs

“Times bygone“ in wood exhibits sculptures and reliefs realized in a rare technique – it is the first exhibition for Juha Olavi Karppinen where he displays wooden art pieces that are made by carving. The artist is self-taught and has learned everything he knows about woodworking by hand and over many decades. Originally the artist concentrated on making traditional utility items like big sleighs and sleds, wooden cups, dough troughs, containers for salting fish, and butter cases. Most of his items were so elaborate that he later extended his range towards artistic sculpting.

This exhibition is a diverse part of Juha Olavi Karppinen’s extensive collection of hand-made works. The pieces create a unique atmosphere and depict well situations in human life. The artist uses Finnish tar to treat the surface of the carved wood. Tar also helps create depth and shadows in the works, and the smell of tar brings an additional level to the exhibition.

The themes of the exhibition, as the name suggests, take the viewer to the landscapes of the artist’s mind, to times bygone that have already changed. On display are works related to fishing, hunting and reindeer husbandry. In addition to the large wooden works there are also a few pencil drawings and some smaller utility items from previous decades on display.

In the works depicting reindeer sleigh riding, Karppinen has managed to realistically represent the movement of the reindeer and the rider’s position in the sleigh, so these large-scale sculptures seem to be going forward. In the works “Trident fishing in twilight” and “Deer hunters” the characters seem to be having a quiet conversation that the viewer can stop and listen to or even join in for a moment. The expressions and furrows on their faces create an image of a person focused on their work. Looking at the sculpture “Reading moment”, you can almost hear the pages of the book rustling and the creak of the rocking chair.

The exhibition as a whole conveys an atmosphere that there is no hurry, but everything will still get done. Viewing the works, you can sense a moment of everyday life in recent history and how people relied on nature. The unity of man and nature is at the heart of most of the artist’s works.

During the summer in Museum-Gallery Alariesto the themes in the works of Andreas Alariesto and Juha Olavi Karppinen meet as the artists spotlight the life in Lapland in the past, both in their own way. The scenes are close to nature, on riversides, in the forests and wilderness. Both artists also share the notion of continuing working as long as one can hold their tool in hand, be it a brush or a knife.