Kim Simonsson
Kim Simonsson at the Koivukuja Biennale – Truth or Fairy Tale?
Iisalmi, Finland
July 1 – August 3, 2025
In the summer of 2025, the longest and most beautiful birch alley in Europe will run through the city of Iisalmi – the Koivukuja Biennale, themed "Truth or Fairy Tale?"
This sculpture exhibition features ten Finnish sculptors, each with a unique artistic voice, showcasing a wide range of techniques and styles.
The birch-lined path leads visitors through the rich diversity of contemporary sculpture, where dreams, hopes, worries, joyful moments, and social reflections unfold before the passerby — blending fantasy and reality.
Among the featured artists is sculptor Kim Simonsson (b. 1974), renowned for his bold storytelling and deep understanding of materials.
Clay is his primary medium, from which he sculpts his figures, finishing them with hand-blown glass, fibers, and everyday objects. This gives his works a unique three-dimensional quality central to his expression. Influences from anime and comic art are clearly visible in his creations.
In the 2010s, Simonsson discovered the flocking technique — a method of applying nylon fiber to surfaces. The mossy green tone, now iconic in his Moss Giants, emerged by chance while experimenting with dark clay and nylon. This discovery opened up a new artistic direction, leading him into forests, mysteries, and strange, mythical beings.
The curators of the 2025 Koivukuja Biennale in Iisalmi are visual artists Kaarina Kaikkonen and Heli Ryhänen.
Location:
City of Iisalmi, Finland
Outdoor park
Open 24/7