“… I have always admired works by artists like David Hockney and Andy Warhol who have been talented, innovative and attuned to the cultural currents around them. My bronze heads were influenced and inspired by ancient American cultures. For me the Yahoos are a tribute to American sculptures that have their roots in Mayan and Inuit cultures.

Since the early days of my art studies, I have admired the coil technique that is often used as the first step in designing ceramic vessels by free hand. After coiling the clay, the vessel is usually smoothed.

My dream was to create funny heads using a “pure” coil technique.

I made my Yahoo sculptures directly in red wax ribbon, not in clay as traditional sculptures are often produced. In Finland in the 1980’s, red or brown wax ribbon came from the cheese industry, where it was used as material for cheese shells. I got the red wax ribbon from my former art-school teacher, Heikki Häiväoja, and brought the wax with me when I moved to Toronto. MST-Bronze Art Foundry helped me cast the heads made in wax. The sculptures are numbered 1,2 and 3/3.

When I moved back to my native country of Finland in 1990, a recession was just beginning. During this time, I pivoted from being an artist working in bronze to one creating paper art and designing paper light fixtures.

I was a member of SSC from 1988 to 1994.  In 1994, the SCC showed my Paper Art exhibition at their gallery in Toronto.”