Finland's unusual statues and ITE art

What is ITE art and where do unusual statues come from

Finland's town squares and roadsides are full of sculptures that do not fit the usual hero-statue pattern. Some are animal-themed works commissioned by the municipality, some are monuments to local sports heroes, and some are the work of self-taught artists. The latter are known in Finland as ITE art, which comes from the words 'self-made life'. The ITE Museum's collections showcase Finnish contemporary folk art as well as international naive and outsider art, and the term has become established for describing art created outside formal education. The same museum testifies that the phenomenon is established enough to have its own collection home.

From sports heroes to sculpture parks

Many municipalities have erected statues to local champions: in Valkeakoski, bronze skier Veikko Hakulinen, a triple Olympic champion, is depicted in a statue made by Aimo Tukiainen in 1994, and in Kurikka, a portrait statue of Juha Mieto was unveiled in September 2020 with funds collected from the public. In Pyhäjärvi, Helena Takalo's statue stands in a fountain pool sculpted by Antonio da Cudan. A different kind of mark has been left by self-taught artists, who have built entire sculpture parks on their own properties over the decades, often right in the middle of an ordinary residential area.

Most interesting examples

In Helsinki, animal-themed statues include the Pukki statue, and the same series continues with, for example, the Bear statue in Suomussalmi and the Wolf statue in Eurajoki. In Loimaa, Alpo Jaakola's statue park and in Nokia, Ossi Somma's sculpture park represent the older tradition of ITE art, while in Kaukas village near Hyvinkää, Middle of Nowhere opened in summer 2024, Finland's first art park dedicated solely to ITE art. In Nivala, Miina Äkkijyrkkä's Milkmaid statue has honoured local dairy farmers since 1984, and in Turku, in Barkerinpuisto, stands a work revealed by Kari Juva in 1987, which according to Wikipedia is Finland's largest and heaviest outdoor sculpture, weighing about 36 tonnes. In Rauma, a lace-maker statue refers to the town's bobbin lace-making tradition, in Kurikka the Juha Mieto Legend statue was funded by public collection, and in Vantaa the Monument to Ordinary People is the artist's protest against grandiose hero statues.

Where there are most of them

Skier statues are scattered across the country: small towns such as Valkeakoski, Haapavesi, Tyrnävä and Kalajoki have each wanted to remember their own sports hero. ITE art sculpture parks, on the other hand, are concentrated in a few well-known sites, such as Loimaa, Nokia, Raahe and Hyvinkää. Otherwise, animal and occupation-themed statues are spread evenly across small and large municipalities from Lapland to Southwest Finland, and many of them are unique to their own town or village, known only there.

Before you go

Most statues are located in town centres or parks, and can be viewed freely year-round. ITE art parks have their own opening hours: Middle of Nowhere accepts only card payments, and dogs are allowed on a leash. ITE parks are often private gardens: check opening hours and any entrance fee before setting off, and respect the artist's home and privacy.