CELL / SOLU – Ossi Somma, Reijo Paavilainen, Pertti Mäkinen

The Autumn Season at Pori Art Museum Opens with the Joint Exhibition “SOLU” by Three Finnish Sculptors: Ossi Somma, Reijo Paavilainen, and Pertti Mäkinen

Solu is the fundamental unit of life. Within it lies knowledge and the future. Just as it represents continuity, it can also be seen as a symbol of interaction and collaboration. Solu, or more precisely Soluleikki, is the name of a playful sculpture created by this trio of sculptors in 1979. Soluleikki marked the beginning of a collaboration among three artists of different ages and styles, a partnership that has continued for two decades to this day.

The Artists

The trio’s careers have been remarkably successful in the Finnish art scene. For 20 years, they have consistently been at the forefront of public sculpture and medal competitions, both as a team and with individual proposals.

Among Reijo Paavilainen’s works, the large wall sculpture Lemminkäinen’s Adventures, created for the Presidential Residence Mäntyniemi following a competition win, is perhaps best remembered. In the 1980s and 1990s, Paavilainen’s commemorative coins won numerous international awards. His plywood sculptures have also garnered success multiple times, particularly in Japan.

Pertti Mäkinen is renowned for the Lauri Viita Monument in Tampere and, like Paavilainen, as an award-winning designer of medals and coins. Earlier in his career, Mäkinen also gained recognition as a graphic artist.

The elder of the group, Ossi Somma, began his career in the late 1950s, embracing the language of modern sculpture. Throughout his life, he has been deeply concerned about humanity. His powerful works, rooted in profound ethical conviction, have enriched Finnish sculpture for decades. Somma’s reflections on technology, human dignity, and environmental issues are more relevant today than ever. A rare and valuable aspect of Finnish art—and one Somma brings to even sensitive topics—is his sophisticated sense of humor. Despite his long career, Somma remains active and prolific, with his works regularly exhibited both in Finland and abroad, in solo and group exhibitions.

All three sculptors have connections to the history of the Kankaanpää Art School: Ossi Somma as a lecturer and principal, while Paavilainen and Mäkinen transitioned from students to teachers there.

About the Exhibition

The SOLU exhibition showcases the trio’s latest ideas, with works created specifically for the exhibition space. After Pori, the exhibition will travel to the Rovaniemi Art Museum and then to the Nelimarkka Museum in Alajärvi.

In connection with SOLU, the Pori Art Museum’s project room presents an overview of the group’s most famous public sculptures from the past two decades. A book accompanies the exhibition, offering insights into the artists, their work, and broader discussions on visual art and the evolving role of public art over recent decades. The SOLU book will be published in October.

Exhibition Publication:

ISBN: 951-9355-62-6
Ossi Somma: Solu / Cell
Pori Art Museum, September 11 – October 31, 1999
Editor: Esko Nummelin
Contributors: Hannu Castrén, Yrjö Haila, Rauni Holst, Liisa Juhantalo, Hilkka Korjus, Esko Nummelin, Leena Passi, Seija Rusko
Photographers: Erkki Valli-Jaakola (Pori Art Museum), Seppo Mustonen, Kaj Nordberg, Esko Nummelin, Reijo Paavilainen, Ossi Somma
Layout: Esko Nummelin
Published by Pori Art Museum, authors, and photographers
Printed by Vammalan Kirjapaino Oy, 1999