The Association of Finnish Sculptors is the national organization for Finnish professional sculptors, established in 1910. Its main objective is to promote and present Finnish sculpture domestically and abroad. As an expert the association offers guidance and information on questions relating to sculpture and represents the professional, economic and social interests of sculptors.

The association maintains Galleria Sculptor as well as organizes events, seminars and exhibition projects and takes part in for example art fairs.

The Association of Finnish Sculptors has about 490 members. Persons who are Finnish citizens or permanently reside in Finland and have showed their competence as a sculptor qualify as members. The members are chosen on the basis of applications.

The Association of Finnish Sculptors is a member organization of the Artists’ Association of Finland, alongside the Artists’ Association Muu, the Union of Finnish Art Associations, the Association of Finnish Printmakers, the Finnish Painters’ Union and the Finnish Photographic Artists’ Association.

The association produces books and exhibition catalogues featuring Finnish sculpture and promotes publications of its members. The office assists researchers, curators, people who are planning to buy sculptures, organizers of exhibitions and visual arts competitions, museums, the media and awarders of prizes. You may also turn to the association for curating help with art acquisitions.

The latest publication produced by the Association of Finnish Sculptors is a Sculpture Expanded, Moving Laboratory of public Art in Helsinki 17.5.–15.9.2019. It documents the exhibition Sculpture Expanded and opens some viewpoints to temporary contemporary sculpture in urban space. You can buy the book in Gallery Sculptor or order it at the price of 10 €. (Editors Moona Tikka, Tiina Veräjänkorva, Parus Verus, 2019, ISBN 978–952–7245–10–1, 142 p.)

The Guide to Buying Sculptures is available at Galleria Sculptor or can be downloaded as a pdf. version at the association’s website.

You will also find information on the work of the members on their homepages, see sculptors section.

The administration is overseen by the executive board elected at the association’s autumn meeting, consisting of a chairperson and six members. The association’s ordinary meetings are held twice a year, in spring and autumn.

Executive board 2023

Chair:
Sampo Malin

Vice-Chair:
Reetta Gröhn-Soininen

Other board members:
SantiYago Delgado
Henrik Härkönen
Marjukka Korhonen
Benjamin Orlow
Tiina Raitanen

Executive director:
Tiina Veräjänkorva
tiina.verajankorva@sculptors.fi
+358 (0)50 3601182

The Association of Finnish Sculptors accepts new members twice a year. For more information: applying for membership.

Honorary members

Persons who have earned credit as sculptors and advanced the goals of the association with their actions are invited to become honorary members. The honorary members are Martti Aiha, Lauri Anttila, Kari Cavén, Markku Hakuri, Maija Helasvuo, Kerttu Horila, Kari Huhtamo, Reijo Hukkanen, Kaarina Kaikkonen, Erkki Kannosto, Pertti Kukkonen, Hannele Kylänpää, Antti Maasalo, Eila Minkkinen, Taru Mäntynen, Pirkko Nukari, Matti Nurminen, Anna-Maria Osipow, Matti Peltokangas, Kimmo Pyykkö, Anni Rapinoja, Antero Ruotsalainen, Anneli Sipiläinen, Hannu Siren, Barbara Tieaho, Antero Toikka and Jukka Vikberg.

The Association of Finnish Sculptors is the national organization for Finnish professional sculptors, established in 1910. Its main objective is to promote and present Finnish contemporary sculpture and spatial artworks domestically and abroad. The Association of Finnish Sculptors accepts new members twice a year.

The application deadlines are the end of February and the end of October.

To apply, send an electronic application to the association including: a short description of yourself as an artist/artist’s statement and your reasons for applying for membership (max A4), 8–10 high-class photos of your works and a list of the works plus their exact details as well as your CV. We recommend you prioritize your central achievements in the CV.

A membership application should be sent by 28 February or 31 October.

Submit your application from here.

The application fee is 20 euros and the sum should be paid to the association’s bank account DABAFIHH FI2380001801840340 by the end of the application months.

Why you should become a member of the Association of Finnish Sculptors?

With your membership card you get free or discounted admission tickets to many art museums, also abroad. Some places offer discounts on e.g. art materials.

You get discount on Taide, Finnish art magazine.

The Association of Finnish Sculptors has negotiated a life insurance for its members. Find out more and use your membership. Keskinäinen Vakuutusyhtiö Kaleva offers the Primus insurances, kalevavakuutus.fi

You may bring one or two small-scale sculptures to the sales collection. Changing of the works on display takes place every two to three months.

You can participate in TEOS Sales Exhibitions at the Cable Factory and in other events, exhibitions and projects targeted at the members of the association.

You will receive information about up and coming events, competitions, exhibitions, residences, grants etc. The newsletters are sent monthly via e-mail. Newsletters are mailed to those who do not use e-mail a couple of times a year. You will also have access to contract templates and other professional guidance.

Members enjoy online visibility thanks to the list of members on the association’s webpage with links to members’ homepages. We add and alter links on request.

You will have access to legal advice on, for example, contracts, social security and taxation provided by The Artist’s Association of Finland. The Artist’s Association of Finland also runs an online publication Taiteilija (Artist) at www.taiteilijalehti.fi.

You can also act in different posts within the association and make an impact.

Some helpful links:

Kuvasto
Arts Promotion Centre Finland
Ministry of Education and Culture
The Finnish Artists’ Studio Foundation
Frame Finland

Each member of the association can bring 1–2 works to the sales collection, of which at least one is kept, if possible, on display.  The works can remain in the sales collection for 1,5 years, after which they should be changed or fetched if they haven’t been sold.

All the works are also on display and on sale in our online store Veistoskauppa – Sculpture Shop where to works are shown in 360-images. One can buy works straight from the gallery or from the online store, and in this occasion, the work will be transported to the buyer from the gallery.

The sales provision is 35 % and the provision is reduced from the sales price, not including VAT (10%).

The works need to fit into the slots in the display cabinet or they cannot be exhibited. We prefer works that stand without support. Wall sculptures or other small sculptures with special display requirements cannot be exhibited in the sales collection.

Maximum size of display cabinet slot: 47 cm (width), 47 cm (height), 46 cm (depth). The sculpture has to fit within these parameters.

You can bring and fetch works during opening hours, but we hope to be notified in advance.

The Association of Finnish Sculptors has since 1960 given out the The Pro Sculptura medal for outstanding contributions to the promotion of Finnish sculpture.

The medal, designed by sculptors Heikki Varja and Kauko Räsänen, has been awarded to the following persons or communities:  Wäinö Aaltonen, Arvo Aho, Marja-Leena Ahola, Veli Aine, Alko Group, Marja-Liisa Bell, Bengt von Bonsdorff, City of Hyvinkää, City of Kotka Sculpture Park, City of Tampere, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Guild of Medallic Art in Finland, Forsmanin kiviveistämö, Göran Green, Maire Gullichsen, Roger Gustafsson, Arttu Halonen, President Tarja Halonen, Raimo and Raini Heino, Helsingin Saskiat ry, Helsinki Art Museum,  Jaakko Hemmi, Sara Hildén, Armas Hutri, Maaretta Jaukkuri, Esko Julin, Yrjö Jäntti, Otso Kantokorpi, Kai Kartio, Urho Kekkonen, Eino Koistinen, Erkki Koponen, Pertti Kukkonen, Erik Kråkström, Kunsthalle Helsinki, Väinö Kärkkäinen, Aune Laaksonen, Laura Luostarinen, Loimaan Kivi Ky., Lönnströmin taidemuseo, Jorma K. Miettinen, Esko Nieminen, Henna and Pertti Niemistö, Jaakko Numminen, Olli Närvä, Oula Pakkala, Oulu Sculpture Street, Juhani Pallasmaa, F. Pehrman, Leena Peltola, Kari Poutasuo, Raimo Utriainen Art Foundation, Eero Rantanen, Jenny Rapp, Yrjö Rosola, Aarno Ruusuvuori, Eino Rämänen, Saastamoinen Foundation, Sakari Saarikivi, Matti Saarinen, Vexi Salmi, Jaakko Salminen, Sara Hildén Art Museum, Marketta Seppälä, Ulla Shackleton, Taru Tappola, Henry Tanninen, Jorma Tissari, Aimo Tukiainen, Kalervo Tuukanen, Juha Vakkuri, Olli Valkonen, E.J. Vehmas, Pauli Venäläinen, Matti Viherjuuri, Lauri Viljanen, Ilkka Voionmaa, Jouko Voionmaa, Jukka, Vikberg, Pauli Venäläinen, Daniel Werkmäster and the Finnish Workers’ Educational Association.