BIO / ARTIST STATEMENT

Erja Tielinen (b.1956) is a sculptor living and working in Helsinki. Her latest sculptures are molded directly from plaster and textile on top of a freely-shaped steel frame structure. Despite the apparent abstraction of the sculptures, they possess figurative and emotional levels of meaning that the artist consciously underlines. In the naming of the works, the artist also leads us to the realization of playful, and often unintentional, references.

"My sculptures deal with the paradox of the life around us. When the illusion of strength is shattered, the fragility and momentum of life is inevitably revealed. However, sensitivity and courage are not mutually exclusive, but are often present simultaneously."

Erja Tielinen graduated from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in 1981. In addition to sculpture, she has also created internationally-awarded medals and commemorative coins, the latest of which being the
'Kirsi Kunnas 100 Years - Children's Literature in Finland' commemorative coin that is released in Finland in December 2024.