HUMAN FACTOR – Kristian Venäläinen

Human Factor is the first exhibition in a project lasting over two years. It consists of human-like sculptures, created in natural human size. The sculptures combine different materials such as ceramics, wood, and bronze. The painting techniques applied to these materials, including paints and special glazes, create a new union between fine art and sculpture. Each work has a story behind it, and each viewer has the right to attach their own story to the piece, whether real or imagined. The purpose of these human-like sculptures is to facilitate encounters with people. The exhibition also includes a series of “head busts,” those quirky fellow inhabitants of our world.

Kristian Venäläinen has worked as a designer at the design department of Rosenthal Porcelain Factory, as a senior lecturer at the Department of Ceramic and Glass Design at the Kuopio Academy of Design, and as the dean of the Arts and Design Program at Finlandia University. Over the last ten years, he has focused on sculpture in his own studio and has held exhibitions both in Finland and abroad.

The exhibition has been supported by the Central Finland Cultural Foundation.

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