Liisa Hietanen is a Finnish artist who loves to crochet and knit life-size figures accurately representing the subjects from their favorite clothing to their beloved pets.
Her latest series, called Villagers, genuinely engage with her fellow neighbors from Hämeenkyrö, whom she seldom interacts with.
“I meet my models in natural everyday situations. The process of choosing a model is intuitive. The person depicted might be someone I meet in the library, in the locker room of the gym or walking their dog on the way home. I don’t know most of my models beforehand but as the process goes on I get to know them,” she wrote on her website.
“When each Villager sculpture is finished I bring them to public sites in Hämeenkyrö for the locals to see. The works have been on display for example in the local library, Restaurant Kehäkukka, Sitomo Flow’er flowershop and Veikon Kone household appliance shop. Working in a community is an essential part of my work and I want to have a dialogue with the people directly in my surroundings.”
