Willow

Lanu Park in Lahti was built between 1989 and 1992. The city of Lahti commissioned a total of 12 sculptures from Olavi Lanu to be placed in the deciduous Kariniemenmäki forest. The starting point of the sculptures was the body of work Lanu created for the Venice Biennale in 1978, entitled Life in the Finnish Forest, in which he explored the relationship between humanity and nature in various ways. Cast in concrete at the Renkomäki gravel pit, the sculptures in the park imitate natural materials. Blending in with their surroundings, the sculptures were all sited by the artist himself.

Olavi Lanu (1925–2015) was a visual artist, teacher and prominent figure in the Lahti art scene.

The work depicts a reclining female figure growing from a base of willow stalks, the figure’s ribbed surface echoing the structure of the braided willow branches. The concrete sculpture was made by covering a fibreglass model with willow twigs. The female figure was modelled after Lanu’s daughter Tessaliina. The massive weight of the material is annulled by the sensitivity and serenity of the work in a way that makes time pause for a moment. Clarity of both subject and form reinforce the calm and unhurried atmosphere that prevail around the work.

Artwork on the map

In Lanu Sculpture Park. – Kariniemenpuistotie 49, Lahti.
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