Jarno Herman Tapio Kantanen 1979-

Artist, craftsman, father, husband.

I work in Raasepori area Billnäs-Karjaa.
I am self employed artist since 2000 working and living in the different fields of arts and crafts.

This is the portfolio of my work based on ”classic artforms” such as sculpting, bronze casting, oilpainting etc.

I cast my statues by myself in my foundry at Karjaa locomotive garages (Karjaan veturitallit).

Contact: Jarno Kantanen, Skogängintie 267, 10330 Billnäs Finland. p.+358401816266 jarno@tatuata.com –

In August 2021 i started to build my ateljé to the old railroad company’s forge in Karjaa, Finland. It is my ateljé and foundry, but i call it as the Factory.

In autumn 2022 I will start studies in Turku academy of arts.

”I take my inspiration from the world invisible to human eyes. World that exist in the other dimensions: dreams, shamanism, nature and human subconscious. My intention is to create universal cross-border symbolic art. Something between the classic figurative art mixed with flavor of abstract- and the folk art.”

-J.H.T.Kantanen, 2022

Bronze casting is a time consuming process, starting from the sculpting, usually done with clay. The silicone / plaster molds needs to be done over the finished sculpture, then the sculpture needs to be casted in wax. After this process its time to build the final mold with casting-and the gas channels. When the mold is ready, we burn it in the mold oven, sometimes even 24 hours to burn the wax figure away from the mold.

Then is time for the cast itself! The bronze melts in 1100c, but it needs to be heated up to 1200c. Then the empty space in the mold will be filled with the melted bronze.

after the casting and breaking the mold, the final work with the metal starts. It is a long process to cut the gas- and the casting channels away and start to work with the bronze figure. Final touches and working with different acids to make the final patina, takes usually even more time that the sculpting itself.

Some of my paintings are listed here:

After years of painting with water based colours, i have been painting with oil colours, which technicue im studying whenever i can.