Alpo Sakari Jaakola (1 April 1929 – 27 February 1997) was a Finnish

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

and sculptor, known as the Shaman of Loimaa. He was one of the most important representatives of

surrealism Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

in Finland. Mysticism and

absurdist humor Surreal humour (also called surreal comedy, absurdist humour, or absurdist comedy) is a form of humour predicated on deliberate violations of causal reasoning, thus producing events and behaviours that are obviously illogical. Portrayals of surrea ...

were central to his work.

Biography

Alpo Jaakola matured as an artist in the surrealism-tinged atmosphere of Turku School of Fine Arts. His early work emanates covert and sombre mysticism, examining the link between the self and the subconscious. Jaakola's interest in different eras and genres of art became evident early on and he developed into a genuine "total artist" – simultaneously a "mystical splinter light painter" and an "anarchistic junk metal-concrete dadaist". In 1977, a documentary film about Jaakola was released. The film won a Jussi Award.

The Alpo Jaakola Statuary Park

In 1992, the Alpo Jaakola Statuary Park was opened to the public in Loimaa, Finland. The Statuary Park is the result of many decades of creative work and a monument of Alpo Jaakola's artistic power. Art exhibitions, cultural events, theater plays, concerts and festivals are organized continuously. Alpo Jaakola himself is interred in the Statuary Park.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jaakola, Alpo 1929 births 1997 deaths People from Loimaa 20th-century Finnish painters 20th-century Finnish sculptors Modern painters Modern sculptors Surrealist artists