Environmental Art
Wooden figurines made from natural branches, called Forest People, are shaped by the forest itself, each one a living natural expression. Carved from fallen wood, they stand like guardians of the wild, their poses guided by instinct rather than design. They move not by will, but by the quiet wisdom of nature, using their forms to express emotion, awareness, and deep connection to the earth.
Their intelligence is not learned, it’s innate, born from the trees, the wind, and the soil. When they gather in a clearing or stand alone in the moonlight, they act with purpose, responding to their surroundings as if guided by a silent, ancient knowing. Their natural instincts shape every pose, turning simple wood into living symbols of the forest’s silent wisdom.
Natural Intelligence
2013 | Laru Art Association | Särkkiniemi, Helsinki
The Forest People possess a natural intelligence rooted in the rhythms of the wild. They embody the quiet wisdom of the forest, not through thought, but through instinct. Each pose is not a gesture, but an expression of instinctive understanding, like a tree bending with the storm or a root seeking water. Their intelligence flows not as human reasoning, but as a silent knowing passed down from the land itself. In stillness or motion, they reveal a wisdom older than language, a natural intelligence that knows the world not through thought, but through being.
Resist
2012 | Laru Art Association | Särkkiniemi, Helsinki
The Forest People now wear gas masks. As pollution creeps into the air and poison seeps into the soil, their natural intelligence awakens in defense. Their masks are a symbol of resistance not against people, but against the harm done to their home. Their intelligence is not just to live, but to protect. In their stillness, they stand not as victims, but as the forest’s awakened guardians, choosing to endure, to protect, and to fight back with the quiet strength of nature’s will.
Break
2011 | Laru Art Association | Särkkiniemi, Helsinki
The Forest People stand in the shadow of artificial barriers, in a world not of their making. Yet their natural intelligence pulses beneath the silence. Their movements are guided by a deep knowing that freedom is not just a place, but a memory. As they break free, they reach out to pull others with them. With each step forward, they reclaim not just their own freedom, but the bond that ties them all.
Are you in?
2010 | Backas Sculpture Park | Vantaa
Forest People were once free, living in the wild, guided by instinct. Then came the cages. Not with force, but with silence. At first, it felt safe. They rested. They waited and then they remembered. The value of freedom, once unknown, now burned bright. The conflict began. To leave was uncertain. To stay was to forget. The dilemma grew. They were not trapped by chains, but by comfort. And now, they must choose between safety and truth. Are you in?
Bug mill
2010 | Iiru lake | Alajärvi
The bugs of the lake are familiar with the blowing winds.
Drying flying carpet
2009 | Laru Art Association | Särkkiniemi, Helsinki
The Flying carpet is a legendary mode of air travel in stories from Arabia, Asia and some Slavic cultures. One such traveller to Lauttasaari had to wash and dry their flying carpet in the same way as the residents of Lauttasaari do.
Soul tunnel
2009 | Backas Sculpture Park | Vantaa
`Soul Tunnel´ is an equipment through which one can see to the other side. Science has not been able to find a soul in human body. Probably, everyone has a soul somewhere, not necessarily within their bodies. It could be on the other side of the “Soul Tunnel”.
Blink – Hide & Seek
2008 | Laru Art Association | Särkkiniemi, Helsinki
Blink once and lose it.
