Artist Statement
Antti Nieminen
I am artist blacksmith, jeweller and sculptor. I work in a large scale of visual arts including sculpting, design, jewellery art and traditional metal art.
I love to work with all kind of metals and alloys, finding the character of each material to utilize the process.
My skills of forging, casting, blacksmithing and goldsmithing are a rare but useful combination to produce metal art from miniature jewellery to huge environmental monuments.
In my artistic work, I strive for communication in many different ways. A work of art must create a dialogue with its investment environment and its experiencer, the dialogue can be contrasting, introductory or emphasizing. I get my inspiration from man’s relationship to his environment, both nature and the built environment.
Biography
Free artist since year 2000.
Public works in Lappeenranta city, Helsinki, Kuhmo.
Works in the collections of Lappeenranta art museum, Amber Museum of Russia, private collections.
Exhibitions, the latest and the most important: 2023 Taidekeskus Itä
2023 Nuutajärven ruukki
2021 Pro Puu galleria Lahti
2020 Saimaarium Lappeenranta
2020 JJDA, Amber Museum of Russia
2019 The Tokyo Japan, Alatyr Kaliningrad Russia
2015 Fiskarsin ruukki
2013 Imatran taidemuseo
2003 Design Forum Helsinki
2003 National Crafts Gallery Seoul Korea
Competitions and Awards
2003 Kalevalaseuran nuoren taiteilijan tunnustuspalkinto
The Blackmith of the Year 2003
Art of Analyste
Positions of Trust
2009 Curator of ABAF Craft Museum of Finland
2007-2010 President of Artist Blacksmiths Assosiation of Finland
2004-2006 Curator of environmental art exhibition Sivupolku
2002-2004 Curator II Baltic Sea Forging Week
2002-2003 curator European Blacksmithing Project, Seoul, Korea
Memberships
Artists assosiation Muu ry
South-Karelian artists assosiation, Artist Blacksmiths assosiation of Finland
Finnish Silversmiths assosiation, Suomen kultaseppien liitto
Korutaideyhdistys, Kaakkois-Suomen taidekäsityöläiset Täky ry, kulttuuriyhdistys Antares
© Valokuvat: Mimosa Elo, Arttu Muukkonen, Terhi Skippari