Seagull

Artist Villu Jaanisoo’s Seagull is a portrait of the tenacious and alert bird that has adapted to life in the Finnish capital.

The fibreglass figure is over six metres tall. The work is located on the ledge at the north end of Tennis Palace for the time being, and may eventually be transferred to another location in Helsinki. It is commissioned by HAM Helsinki Art Museum.

Natural motifs, recognisable animals in particular, are typical element in Jaanisoo’s art. “I create art of the things I see,” he says. He is also masterful in the use of materials and form in a monumental scale. “I usually make a scale model first, although everything works better in a large scale. I like creating large works of art. You get immersed in the process so that you forget all your troubles.”

Villu Jaanisoo (b. 1963, Tallinn) is one of the most prominent sculptors in Finland. He has created several works of public art in Finland and abroad and his work resides in the collections of several major art museums. His public works in Helsinki include Siberian Jay in Kalasatama, which belongs to HAM’s collection, and Everything Is Possible, a large gorilla made of used car tyres that was destroyed in spring 2018. The gorilla piece belonged to the State Art Collection. Jaanisoo has been professor of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts since 2009.