Wäinö Aaltonen - The Joy of Creating

The extensive retrospective exhibition presenting Wäinö Aaltonen’s art from the 1910s to the 1960s is based on his monumental works created in Tampere and Turku.

The statues on Hämeensilta Bridge in Tampere on subjects taken from the ancient local peasant culture and the statue of the runner Paavo Nurmi in Turku are among Wäinö Aaltonen’s most notable public works. Over time they have become symbols and emblems of the spirit of these cities and indeed of Finland more generally.

The exhibition examines the creative process behind Aaltonen’s monumental works through extensive photographic material, sketches, plaster models, tools and smaller works related to the large public monuments. Also on show are sketches that have not previously been exhibited to the general public.

Wäinö Aaltonen – The Joy of Creating sheds light not only on the sculptor’s monumental projects but also on his creative process and views of the function of art manifested in smaller works that were unfettered by the restraints of public expectations.

The exhibition Wäinö Aaltonen – The Joy of Creating has been produced in cooperation with the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum in Turku.