Nordic artist transforms strips of wood into expressive sculptures

Jaakko Pernu is a land artist and sculptor from the subarctic city of Oulu, Finland, a place that's surrounded by Boreal forest. With inspiration from the timber outside, Pernu creates expressive installations from wooden strips. The resulting works, which comment on the give-and-take relationship between humans and nature, are some of the most impressive examples of environmental art today. 

Pernu's work is informed by the idea of the timberline, or puuraja, the point in Northern latitudes at which trees no longer grow. "A timberline in the middle of a European city may be a Northern comment on the spread of cities," writes the artist. "At the same time, it may represent an aesthetic 'timberline' either in a built-up or in a natural environment. I try to allow for multiple interpretations of my works: they do not preach loudly."

Photos via EnvironmentalArt.net