Veistos

Veistos is Finnish for sculpture, referring to three-dimensional visual art produced by shaping, modeling, or assembling materials. The term applies to freestanding sculptures as well as reliefs and can describe both figurative and abstract forms.

Common techniques include carving, modelling, casting, welding, and construction. Materials range from traditional media such as stone, wood, and metal to fired clay, glass, concrete, and contemporary composites. Artists may sculpt directly in the chosen material or create maquettes and then translate them into larger works.

Historically, veistos covers a broad spectrum of global traditions. In Finland, sculpture has a long tradition from medieval church art and wooden carvings to later public sculpture in the 19th and 20th centuries. Internationally, sculpture has evolved through classical, Renaissance, and modern movements, culminating in various forms of realism, abstraction, and installation art.

Today veistos is encountered in museums, galleries, and as public art in town and city spaces. Contemporary practice often emphasizes material experimentation, site-specific work, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Conservation of sculptures addresses issues such as weathering, corrosion, structural stability, and the preservation of patina and texture.