Kim Simonsson: Silhouettes
Galerie Forsblom 11.3.– 3.4.2022
In his new exhibition, Kim Simonsson (b.1974) presents two parallel worlds. In the first room, we see ceramic figures that appear frozen mid-movement, their surfaces coated in black fiber. Their uncanniness stems from how the black fiber dampens their plasticity, making them appear flat rather than three-dimensional. The second room in the gallery is filled with an installation of Simonsson’s signature moss people. Coated in moss-like green nylon fiber, the figures seem to have fallen asleep in random positions as plants begin to sprout around them.
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.
Simonsson graduated as a ceramics major from the University of Arts and Design in 2000. He is an internationally active artist whose work is found in Finnish and foreign collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, and Espoo Museum of Modern Art EMMA. This year he will make two significant appearances in France. Ten 4.5-meter-tall replicas of his moss people are currently being produced for the Lille3000 art festival. He will also participate in the Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art with an installation of ceramic moss figures.