photo: Jefunne Gimpel
Born in Helsinki 1974 | Lives and works in Fiskars, Finland
Simonsson renews the traditions of ceramic art by combining the idiom of classic marble sculpting with computer games and other elements of popular culture. He employs a special electrostatic technique of transferring nylon fiber to the surface of his sculptures, giving them a soft, furry appearance. The sculptor’s finger imprints are visible on the cratered surface, which refracts light as it hits the mossy folds. Thanks to the softening effect of the nylon fiber and the hand-molding technique, the textures of Simonsson’s new works are livelier and more organic than the smooth, glazed surfaces of his earlier cast pieces.
Kim Simonsson graduated with a major in ceramics from the University of Arts and Design in 2000. Today, he is an internationally noted artist found in foreign and Finnish museums, including the Victoria and Albert, the Museum of Contemporary Kiasma Art, and the EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art. Ten of his 4.5-meter moss figures were displayed prominently as a townscape installation at the Lille3000 Utopia Festival, and he also contributed an installation of 28 Moss People to the 16th Lyon Biennale in 2022.
Galerie Forsblom has been representing Kim Simonsson since 2015.
Congratulations to Kim Simonsson on being awarded the Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland!
Kim Simonsson: The Moss Giants
Lasipalatsi square
The Finnish Ibero American Cultural Institute in Madrid presents a solo show by Kim Simosson
Kim Simonsson's works at The Lyon Contemporary Art Biennal
Kim Simonsson's works are part of the Lille3000 cultural festival
With references to fairytale characters, manga films and computer games, Kim Simonsson's (b. 1974 in Finland) sculptures are very distinctive. Simonsson portrays magical little figures with black eye sockets, covered with a layer of what appears to be moss. These dreamy figures are a touch gruesome, yet simultaneously fragile and frail. The handmade ceramic stoneware sculptures are encased in a layer of nylon fiber in a nearly fluorescent shade of green.
"Kim Simonsson, known for his green mosspeople sculptures, was told during his studies that his work is not museum material. Now, they are attracting attention in the courtyard of the Amos Rex Art Museum in Helsinki."
