Kim Simonsson
Little Prince And Moss People
Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki
March 11 – June 3, 2016
Little Prince and Moss People is a series of ceramic sculptures by KIM SIMONSSON (b. 1974) portraying denizens of a parallel reality. Wearing voodoo masks, his feathered creatures are members of a tribe blessed with the power of flight. The all-white boy represents the figure of the Little Prince, who dons a helmet as he embarks on his phantasmagorical adventures in outer space. The huddle of hand-crafted moss people creates a stark contrast to the pure white sculptures.
Kim Simonsson electrostatically transfers nylon fiber to the surface of the sculptures, where it forms a layer resembling moss. The sculptor’s touch is visibly imprinted on the surface, creating dappled effects as the light catches in the moss-like folds. The nylon fiber and hand-crafted effect add new dynamism to the customarily smooth, glazed surface of Kim Simonsson’s sculptures. Some of his sculptures are encrusted in a cauliflower-like surface; others are decked in feathers. Kim Simonsson renews the traditions of ceramic art by combining the vocabulary of classic marble sculpting with computer games and other elements of popular culture. This is the first exhibition to also feature a bronze sculpture by Kim Simonsson.
KIM SIMONSSON graduated as a ceramics major from the University of Arts and Design in 2000. He was chosen as Finland’s Young Artist of the Year in 2004. He is an internationally active artist whose works are found in Finnish and foreign collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma and the EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art. Kim Simonsson lives and works in Fiskars.
GALERIE FORSBLOM
Lönnrotinkatu 5 / Yrjönkatu 22, 00120 Helsinki
