Kalevi Päivärinta

Lohja (1965)

Goldsmith Kalevi Päivärinta still works at his profession, but his free time is filled with hobbies bigger than jewelry and much more sophisticated. He has created numerous sculptures around his summer villa on a rocky hill. They are mainly made of wood, but found scrap also has its place as parts of the works.

The subjects of the works seem to be often taken from folklore, but in the author’s opinion, they do not have that origin. At least the grimacing elf in the spruce branch was born rather inspired by the humor cultivated by the artist and the desire to surprise the viewer.

Kalevi Päivärinta is also a motorcycle enthusiast. A large group of creative people work in the club space located in a rickety industrial building in Lohja, Southern Finland. Their works are chopper-type motorcycles. Many a wonderful bike shines there with chrome and wooden paint, but Kalevi, who has seen enough shine and roughness in his work, has made his own chopper rusty and dreary. In industry circles, such a bike is called a “rat”. The art trend of “chopperism” has indeed created a spectrum of genres within itself. The styles are not binding, but creatively made exceptions can earn a lot of respect in the community.

Text and images: Veli Granö