Kim Simonsson

About The Artist

At first, the work of Finnish artist Kim Simonsson (b.1974) might be seen as relatively traditional, due to his use of bronze as a sculptural material. However, his sculptures often appear rather different than what you would normally expect from the use of bronze.

This goes for both the look of the works - as he often transforms the materials in unexpected ways - and also in terms of his choice of motifs, as we see here. At first glance, what we see is indeed a classical bronze sculpture and an innocent motif. However, upon looking closer, the viewer will discover a scene that is spooky and somewhat disturbing.

Ceramic artist Kim Simonsson’s (b. 1974) work grows from a Nordic storytelling tradition rich with enigmatic fairytales. Inspired by classical marble sculpture, computer games, pop culture and Japanese manga, Simonsson creates a universe inhabited by green-coloured Moss People, a tribe of feathered fantasy beings. Another parallel world is populated by pure-white imaginary figures.

The child-size ceramic sculptures convey a sense that something unexpected might happen. A kneeling girl talking to a two-headed bunny, a little girl with a golden bird flying out of her mouth or a boy with feathers in his tousled hair. Grouped together the installations are full of theatrical suspense.

The creation technique of the boldly colored Moss People is unique. Simonsson transfers nylon fiber electrostatically on to his ceramic sculptures to form a coarse green coating. As a contrast, Simonsson gives his white ceramic sculptures a smooth glossy finish.

Kim Simonsson graduated from the University of Arts and Design in Finland in 2000. He was
chosen as Finland’s Young Artist of the Year 2004. His works are found in significant collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, National Museum of Norway, Shigaragi Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art and EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art.

Kim Simonsson lives and works in Fiskars Village, a historical artisan community in Finland.

Find out more about the CHART in Tivoli Exhibition