Spiral of cruelty | Serlachius | Collection Pic

Laura Kuurne, Head of Collections and Exhibitions“Fat. Fucking ugly.” These words are written in Finnish on the skin of a naked girl doll in Stiina Saaristo’s sculpture ensemble Those Assholes. In the centre of the sculpture pedestal stands a girl who has punished her dolls with abusive words, staples and a screwdriver. The journey from the exhibition hall to the bullying circles in elementary school yards is short.

Stiina Saaristo (b. 1976) is known for her large and skilfully detailed drawings, which are characterised by macabre humour and grotesque use of self-portraiture. Works challenging cultural norms emerge from the world of girls and women, where appearance pressures and established expectations are prevalent.

In addition to gender roles, the works accurately and topically depict humanity more generally, delving into the very emotions we wish to reject. Use of power, aggression, greed or envy become visible. At the same time, laughter always pervades the surface of the works – we humans are like that too, the artist seems to be saying with a smile.

Technique changes, recognisable style remains

One topic that has fascinated Saaristo is the difficulties associated with friendship. Competition, alliances and ganging up on the weak are phenomena whose anatomy Saaristo has studied extensively. Those Assholes is an eight-part ceramic work whose detailed realism is arresting. Screws, pens, scissors and even a zipper on a dress have been meticulously realised, imitating reality.

It is astonishing how effortlessly Saaristo, who is renowned for her drawing, has moved on to making three-dimensional sculptures. The artist, who creates drawings, oil paintings, graphics and ceramic sculptures, has an original style that remains exceptionally recognisable, even as the technique changes. The artist herself does not see much difference between working with pencil or clay, as in both approaches a work is created without sketches, one detail at a time.

She first began making ceramic sculptures as a hobby and, starting in 2019, in her studio. The slightly quirky sculptures resemble porcelain figures that have grown large and unconventional. As is typical of Saaristo, they are far from the beauty ideals of glossy magazines.

Those Assholes is the artist’s largest sculpture ensemble to date. It was completed for Saaristo’s retrospective entitled Always Happy, which was shown at Serlachius from 22 November 2025 to 12 April 2026.

Thin veneer of civilisation is cracking

In the work, a young girl processes through play her own experiences of violence and bullying. Children show their emotions immediately; it is only later that we learn to feel ashamed and hide our anger and primal desires. The civilised shell of learned behaviour still sometimes seems to be very thin, even in adults.

The EU logo on the matchbox in the girl’s hand takes thoughts far away from schoolyards or playrooms. The work makes apparent what it does not show us: it is the adult men who lead countries who really know how to ignite the cycle of revenge.

arrow_back arrow_forward