Kaarina Kaikkonen b. 1952

Born in Iisalmi, Finland 1952 | Lives and works in Helsinki

Kaarina Kaikkonen, one of our most internationally recognized sculptors, is known for shaping urban landscapes and emphasizing community through her installations. In her works, one can find references to current themes of humanity’s place in their own time and of basic needs that always exist regardless of environment or culture. Old clothes contain the former user's presence, which wraps around Kaikkonen’s story and places the viewer before something new and unknown but, at the same time, exceedingly familiar and intimate.

The impressive installations made out of men’s jackets and shirts are well known in Finland and globally, such as in the US, Cuba, Canada, Japan, and Great Britain. Her first installation was on display in Helsinki in 1988. In Finland, one of her most famous works is the ‘Way’ -installation, which she built on the steps of Helsinki Cathedral in 2000. Her pieces can be found in several collections, such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki City Art Museum, and Espoo Museum of Modern Art of EMMA. Kaikkonen studied at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts School and was awarded the National Visual Arts Prize in 1989 and the Finland Prize of Art in 2001. In 2013, the Order of the Lion of Finland awarded her Knight First Class. Kaikkonen has also received international awards, such as the Public Prize in Den Haag Sculptuur in the Netherlands in 2004 and Honorable Mention at the Cairo 11th Biennale in Egypt in 2009.

Galerie Forsblom has been representing Kaarina Kaikkonen since 2008.