Kimmo Schroderus creates figures out of shiny, acid-resistant steel; figures that warp, fracture and fold. These ill-defined bodies, or parts of them, shown stooped under the weight of some unimaginable circumstances or stress, are part of his new exhibition, which, contrary to the themes that dominated his previous shows – sci-fi and horror – focuses on the absurd. This is made clear, for instance, by the grimacing heads of the Relatives series and by the over-long revels of the creature resembling a human figure in Party Monster. Besides figurative depictions, this exhibition, like the previous one, has a more industrial, more abstract mode of presentation, such as in Surface Activity and Second Thought – a sculpture modelled on the thought bubble, in whose round, high-gloss surfaces viewers can see their own distorted appearance.
Kimmo Schroderus’ career as a sculptor began in the 90s. His sculptures combine industrial materials and practices with an organic form language and traditional methods of sculpture, such as metal casting. His working process emphasizes the importance of the craft, of DIY, and a mastery of materials and techniques, as well as a striving to continually learn more. For Schroderus, his workspace in Salo is like a laboratory where he seeks out new ways of working on, shaping, or even deforming his materials. The long, arduous journey made by the sculptures to being finished works of art is a part of their content: it has to be visible from the execution of the sculpture that its creation has been a meaningful act for its maker. The professional skill accrued over a long career is reflected in the flawless surface of the end result.
Schroderus is known for winning the 2004 Ars Fennica Award and his works are, for instance, in the collections of Kiasma, the Henna and Pertti Niemistö, Wihuri, and Saastamoinen Foundations, and Helsinki City Art Museum. His most recent public work, which has gained widespread recognition, is the Eppu Normali-themed sculpture Alamökki (The Lower Hut) unveiled in Ylöjärvi in 2018.
