Matias Karsikas brings a unique perspective to sculpture by blending glass, wood, and ceramics into pieces that feel both natural and otherworldly. His work is deeply rooted in an appreciation for materials, allowing each element to dictate its role within his compositions. By doing so, he creates sculptures that balance on the edge between organic and artificial, celebrating the resilience of nature while acknowledging human influence on the world around us.
At first glance, Karsikas’ botanical sculptures might appear as abstract representations of flowers and foliage, but a closer look reveals a more intricate dialogue between textures and materials. Vibrant hand-blown glass forms the petals of his floral sculptures, giving them a controlled and polished beauty, while fragments of untreated wood disrupt this order with their raw, unshaped edges. Tiny pieces of fired clay protrude in rhythmic patterns, resembling the tiny florets of a blooming flower. This interplay between precision and imperfection creates a tension that makes his work feel alive – never fully captured, always evolving.
Karsikas’ fascination with textures extends beyond form. He has developed his own glazes to replicate the surfaces of lichen and moss, making his ceramic elements appear almost as if they were part of a forest floor. His pieces “Jäkälä” and “Sammal” demonstrate this mastery, with mottled green hues that mimic the irregular patterns of plant life. By controlling the surface in this way, he is able to blur the line between what is handmade and what could be mistaken for something found in the wild.
His ability to reimagine nature through sculpture found a new scale with his first major public work, “Peukaloisen puutarha,” installed on the walls of a daycare center in Helsinki. The name translates to “Little Thumbling’s Garden,” referencing the way young children experience the world – where everything feels oversized, magical, and full of discovery. The installation features an array of sculpted flowers, berry clusters, and peas, playing with scale to evoke the wonder of childhood. It is a perfect example of how Karsikas’ work not only draws from nature but also from memory and perception, transforming everyday forms into something extraordinary.
Fresh off his first major exhibition at the Finnish Glass Museum, Karsikas continues to push his creative boundaries. He is currently working on two new public art projects, promising more of his signature blend of craftsmanship, innovation, and a deep connection to the materials he works with. His approach is not just about making objects; it is about creating an experience – one where textures, colors, and forms speak to something beyond the physical, tapping into a quiet but powerful language of nature itself.
