S a i r i
Sairi Forsman
Emerged into the world amidst the vibrant hues and bustling life of Mexico City, daughter to John Väinö Forsman, the Finnish composer whose lineage bore the artistic fervor of Finland’s cultural contributors. It was perhaps destiny that she, too, would tread the path of artistic endeavor.
In the nascent stages of her career, Sairi's expressionistic sculptures bore the raw, visceral emotions of life, with features harshly incised into clay. This period of fervent expression gradually gave way to inspirations drawn from modern art and cubism, from which she crafted tangled forms and knotted bodies that narrated psychological complexities, the entwinements of self that both bind and liberate.
Yet, as if following an inward spiral, her art evolved, the knots unraveling to recall the body's intrinsic memory, its traditional and almost realistic essence. Her figures, now elongated, began to inhabit her works with a new narrative force, culminating in the creation of "The Cannibal"—a piece so alive it has its own breath and being. Though this sculpture marked a pinnacle in her career, Sairi was not satisfied to dwell within the confines of a singular style. Her artistic journey continued, her sculptures diminishing in volume until they reached their final consequence: bones, vertebrae, spines. Sairi once remarked, "In my work the skeleton is not necessarily a representation of death, but a framework that defines, delimits and/or describes a mere concept of “emptiness”.
Driven by an inexhaustible quest for meaning, Sairi then found her way to real bones: fish, whales, birds, and other creatures, transforming these remnants into art—not merely replicating skeletons but crafting objects and exo-skeletons, like dresses that shelter our emptiness or void. Her work, vibrant and figurative, has allowed her to weave stories, capture sensations, and embody emotions and states of mind with a boldness and intimacy only she can evoke.
Her sculptures have not only graced the halls of the Poliforum Cultural Siqueiros and the spaces designed by architect Carlos Gosselin but have also found homes among private collections across Europe, the USA, and Latin America. Featured in prestigious publications such as Artes de Mexico and Architectural Digest, and honored with a fellowship at the Nordic Arts Center in Helsinki, Sairi's work has touched audiences far and wide, with exhibitions spanning from Mexico City to New York, from Los Angeles to Chicago.
Thus, in her ceaseless experimentation and unwavering commitment to her craft, Sairi Forsman sculpts not merely the forms of life but its very essence, rhythmically carving out her place within the infinite dance of creation.