Eila Hiltunen – The Poetry of Material

Her most famous work is the Jean Sibelius monument, unveiled in 1967. Her works can also be found in France, Canada, the United States, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and Italy.

Jean Sibelius monument by Eila Hiltunen

Sculptor Eila Hiltunen was born in 1922 in Sortavala, a town in the Republic of Karelia that belonged to Finland until 1940. She is best known for the Sibelius Monument, unveiled in 1967 in Töölö, Helsinki. Nowadays, it is one of the most popular tourist sites in Helsinki. Hiltunen spent her childhood in Hamina as the only child of automotive entrepreneur Usko Hiltunen. Her first welding experiment was at the age of eight, secretly with a friend in her father's metal workshop in Hamina.

The family moved to Helsinki via Lahti due to her father's work, where Hiltunen graduated from high school in 1942. She then went on to study fine arts at the Ateneum. Hiltunen's first exhibition in Finland was in 1950. Among her early works are the war memorials unveiled in Pusula in 1947 and Simpele in 1953. Early in her career, Hiltunen worked with molding and casting.

Welded Steel Sculptures

Welding was incorporated into sculpture as early as the 1920s, and Eila Hiltunen became passionate about it in 1957. She was particularly drawn to the possibilities of welding to create different shapes and surfaces. Encouraged by her husband, Otso Pietinen, a welding studio was built in the yard of their home in Munkkiniemi, Helsinki. Hiltunen honed her metalworking skills during a study trip to an art school in the United States in 1958. Initially, she welded her artwork but soon began using an assistant welder.

Eila Hiltunen's welding equipment from the 1960s.

Eila Hiltunen welding her art in the 1960s. Image by her husband Otso Pietilä.

Eila Hiltunen's sculpture "Ancestress"

Eila Hiltunen specialized in welded steel sculptures created for public spaces in Finland and abroad. These produced her signature works, characterized by themes of movement and nature-related plants. She later applied the welding technique not only to steel but also to copper and aluminum bronze.

In addition to the Sibelius Monument, Hiltunen's famous works include the Bank of Finland's fountain, "Copper Construction," and the "Underwater" in Tampere, Finland. Hiltunen's works can also be seen in many international cities, including Montreal, Jeddah, Tehran, Rome, New York, and Berlin.

Eila Hiltunen spent her youth during wartime. She married photographer Otso Pietinen in 1944, and they had two children. Early in their marriage, Pietinen quietly hoped that Eila would focus on family life and forget the "girlish fancy" of a career as a sculptor. Over the years, Pietinen adapted to life as the husband of a sculptor. The family's studio house was completed in the 1950s in Munkkiniemi, Helsinki. The family acquired a second home, a medieval fortress tower, in the village of Monticchiello in Tuscany, Italy. The Italian home was very important to Eila Hiltunen, and she had a studio there as well.

Eila Hiltunen passed away in Helsinki in 2003 and is buried in the Artist's Hill at Hietaniemi Cemetery in Helsinki.

The article was originally published in Hitsaustekniikka magazine's issue 06/2022.