Kain Tapper - Queen

Kain Tapper (b. 1930, Saarijärvi, d. 2004, Helsinki) created the wooden sculpture Queen, which was first exhibited when the art museum opened 40 years ago. It stirred strong reactions. One visitor dismissed it as an ordinary log that anyone could have made. Thirty years later, the same visitor saw the work again and could hardly believe it was the same piece. The sculpture’s beautiful and delicate surface patina now created an entirely new impression.

Tapper is one of Finland’s most significant sculptors, known for his abstract formal language and the treatment of wood surfaces, seen in numerous public artworks. Stone is another important material for the artist, exemplified by The Birth of Mountains, which rises from the ground in front of the Rovaniemi City Library.