Kustaa Saksi

“A cabinet from a unique series that combines oak with woven fabric made of Japanese paper, developed at TextielMuseum in The Netherlands. The project takes its inspiration from cabinets of curiosities – or wunderkammers – hiding a myth of Hiisi, a mythological creature or locality, best known for appearing in Finnish mythology. This is a sequel to my earlier cabinet “Iku-Turso” (2021) developed together with Nikari from Finland.
Hiisi is a term in Finnish folklore, originally denoting sacred localities and later on various types of mythological entities. They are depicted as demonic or trickster-like entities, often the autochthonous, pagan inhabitants of the land. They are found near salient promontories, ominous crevasses, large boulders, potholes, woods, hills, and other outstanding geographical features or rough terrain. Oral folklore concerning Hiisi mostly describes creatures that dwelt in Hiisi sites, typically trolls or giants. Many of the stories describe how odd rock formations or other features of the landscape were created by the actions of these creatures.”