Sculptures – Talvikki Lehtinen and Ensio Härkönen

At PORIGINAL GALLERY, an exhibition will be held in December showcasing works completed in 2010 by sculptors Ensio Härkönen and Talvikki Lehtinen.
Ensio Härkönen’s contribution to the exhibition consists of a series of new welded steel sculptures. Talvikki Lehtinen presents an installation of works made from bronze, aluminum sheet, and copper wire.
Both Ensio Härkönen and Talvikki Lehtinen are sculptors and art educators living in Kankaanpää. Earlier this year, their works were featured in a group exhibition by art teachers at the Kankaanpää School of Fine Arts gallery titled “Vuorotyö” (Shift Work).

Ensio Härkönen
In recent years, I have used sheet steel as my sculpture material. I create my works by welding. My sculptures are figurative and reflect the human scale; I aim for them to be in proportion to the dimensions of the human body. I find the size, shape, and rhythm of the movement in the sculpture to be meaningful.

The welding process is a “direct approach,” where the sculpture is built piece by piece, joining sheets of metal, slowly progressing towards a straightforward final result. Steel sheet as a material has many faces. The process of welding pieces together and treating the metal surface allows me to move beyond the flatness of the material and create the illusion of it transforming into something else.

I consider the relationship between the sculpture and the viewer to be essential. My goal is to produce an immediate experience and recognizable connection for the viewer.

The exhibition at Poriginal Gallery showcases my steel sculptures completed in 2010. These new works continue the series of steel sculptures I have been developing over previous years.

Talvikki Lehtinen
As a sculptor, it feels natural for me to create my works using casting techniques. I usually create three-dimensional pieces by casting them in bronze. What fascinates me about bronze casting is its multi-stage process and the conceptual and functional breadth it involves.

My works begin from an internal feeling, which I strive to translate into a visual form. Over the years, the size of my sculptures has grown, but they are still in proportion to the viewer’s lap.

In addition to bronze casting, I also use a variety of techniques and materials in my works. I enjoy working with compositions where the installation space itself plays a significant role. I strive for the total work to be more than the sum of its parts, but also for each piece of the work to have its own independent existence.

I define my work and my sculptures as slow, quiet, and personal. In relation to the viewer, my goal is to touch something internal, to leave a trace of feeling.

In the works displayed at Poriginal Gallery, I use bronze, aluminum sheet, and copper wire as materials. In the installation “Muistiinpanoja” (Notes), I reflect on the nature of my art-making process and my works as a form of note-taking.

This text was created with AI assistance