Unique Giant Sculptures of Cows

Sculptor Miina Äkkijyrkkä is not often seen at formal government receptions with chandeliers and champagne. Rather the contrary; she is famed for banner headlines in the silly papers, and for her not in frequent encounters with law enforcement. Using the cow as inspiration for an art career may seem strange, but it makes a lot more sense once you take a look at her schooling history. She studied horses at the Equine College Ypäjä, then turned to studying dairy farming at the Dairy Farming School of North-Savo, before attending the School of Fine Arts of Finland. Miina is known as a protector of Finncattle, the native Finnish dairy breed, and even owns her own cows.

Äkkijyrkkä has managed to combine in her output elements often seen as contradictory, such as agriculture and “high” culture, the visual arts and cattle-raising, or performance art and the cherishing of traditions.
Her undertakings, which have sometimes been splashed unceremoniously across the pages of the tabloids, have tested the public’s norms and moulded Äkkijyrkkä’s image as an artist.