A project about Finnish Sauna Culture

I will never forget the first time when I was visiting Olli and Tuula-Marja Klemola and their magical smoke Sauna deep in the woods. A friend of mine and I arrived late in the afternoon that day and it was already dark. Olli had spent quite some time to heat up the huge stove and to prepare everything before our arrival. So we were heading straight into the Sauna and once inside a warm and timeless darkness was waiting for us. Thick layers of soot were surrounding everything and the whole place was only illuminated by a pale orange glow that came from a few candles next to the window. We continued telling stories for hours and were enjoying the sweet scent of old wood, smoke and uncounted years.

Ollis Sauna is supposed to be one of the oldest smoke saunas in Finland still in use and during all my research I have never experienced a sauna like this before. Usually smoke Saunas burn down sooner or later after a couple of years, but this one never did. Olli Klemola is a very knowledgeable man about the ancient rites of Finish Sauna and I hope he is sharing more of his wisdom in the future with me.

Cycle of Works

The Sauna Project

Type of Work

Longtime project, free work

Location

Various locations in Finland

Time Frame

2006 to 2015