Can you imagine mirror frames that look as if a cloth has been thrown over them, but it's all hand-carved from wood? These and many other jaw-dropping samples of skills can be seen when visiting carpenter and master wood carver Tero Hulkkonen's workshop in Taipalsaari, just outside Lappeenranta. Tero once attended the carving course at the now defunct Jurva School of Crafts and Design under the teaching of Oiva Kentta, a pioneer of Finnish decorative carving. After school, Tero’s road from Ostrobothnia led back to his home region and he boldly went straight into the craft business in 2001. In 2004, he obtained a specialised qualification as a master of decorative carving.
For Hulkkonen, the artistic path opened up somewhat by chance: after completing the woodworking course at vocational school, he first applied to study wood technology at the University of Technology, but although he was admitted, he chose another path after realising that he was more interested in woodworking. Handicrafts had been his favourite subject at school as a child, and it was during his post-graduate studies in Jurva that he really became interested in decorative carving.
Hulkkonen's handiwork can be admired in the decorative carvings of the renovated doors of the Finnish National Theatre and in the patterning of the renovated organ in Kinnula Church, but his decorative carvings and inlays, period furniture and unique furnishings can also be found in private homes. Some carved coats of arms are also commissioned. Most of Tero's working hours are spent on commissioned work, but occasionally he has time to develop his own work, which includes natural forms, frames, or fantasy world characters combined with lighting. Working alone and having a workshop close to nature gives him peace of mind, while working as a woodworking teacher at a community college gives him a counterbalance to his own work.
Of the classical styles, Hulkkonen's favourite is rococo, but he is also interested in more lively carving styles. The style of the period furniture repeats certain patterns, leaves and floral motifs according to tradition, but given free rein, the imprint of Tero's chisel can be very contemporary.
For Hulkkonen, it is the quality of the work that counts: smooth lines, liveliness and balance of form and, as he says, "a workprint that you dare to look at closely".
The various carving chisels are naturally the decorative carver's favourite tool and the most popular carving material is linden or birch. The wood you are working on and its grain will influence the direction and technique in which it can be carved. Many people think that birch is too hard to carve, but a chisel slides well in it. Hulkkonen has covered a lot of ground in his 24-year career, and his unpretentious professionalism comes through in his speech. Over time, he says, he has learnt that anything is possible and that when you are given a challenging task, it's good to remember that people have already done things before!
The doors of Tero Hulkkonen's workshop will be open to the public for the first time during Konstrundan. Hulkkonen hopes to raise awareness of woodworking and woodcarving as a craft. During the Konstrundan weekend, visitors will have the opportunity to see how Tero's work is created and, if they wish, to try their hand at woodcarving. When asked about his specific expectations for the event, Hulkkonen laughs, "No expectations, I'll take the experience with an open mind and if someone comes here, that's great!”