This work consists of two sculptures, a wooden portrait and a sculpture in the shape of a balloon. The portrait is made of aspen and the balloon is sculpted of oak. Both of these trees are cut from my parent’s yard. I wanted to use aspen in portrait because you can make its surface to look and feel like skin. Also, I wanted to use aspen in a portrait genre because it is not hardwood and it is treated like garbage in Finland. The balloon is made from oak, one of the rare hardwoods found in Finland.

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The original idea behind The End of the Party was related to the way we live our life in capitalistic western society. Often I think that in western society we are living like life is just an endless party. I took Donald Trump as the symbol, but of course, the work is not so much about Trump, but more about what Trump is representative. His character is part of our everyday media content, we see photographs of his different expressions every day in the newspapers and online. But is he ever sad in these pictures?

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Often there is a clown in the parties. Historically clowns are making jokes about taboos and rites related to culture and society. What happens when parties are over and we have to face the consequences? When the mask is removed and euphoric state is fading away? What do we feel? Do we feel happiness, guilt, remorse, fear or what?

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Also, the theme of the works is related to the long tradition of making portraits of people of influence. I found it interesting to make a portrait of Trump. I am fascinated by faces and expressions and trying to carve them from wood. In art history portraits often represent important persons with power really conservative way. In this work, I don’t want to mock Trump or make a joke about him, but making him be looked in the different light.