On display in a Finnish gallery: art by Juuso the bear
Juuso, who is 17 years old, favours blue and red, the keeper said, adding that the paints used posed no health risk to the bear
Artists usually like to attend the opening of their exhibitions but the painter of the works that went on display at a gallery in Helsinki on Tuesday preferred to carry on hibernating. The artist behind the exhibition entitled "Strong and soft touches" is a 423-kilogram (930 pound) brown bear named Juuso who uses his body, especially his paws, as paintbrushes. "We just leave paint for him, some plywood and paper ... If we ask him to do it, he doesn't do anything. He does all the work in his own time, when he's alone, sitting and moving his legs on the paper," said Pasi Jantti, one of his keepers. Juuso, who is 17 years old, favours blue and red, the keeper said, adding that the paints used posed no health risk to the bear. His keepers discovered Juuso's artistic bent one day while painting some facilities at Kuusamo animal center in northern Finland where he has been living since being orphaned as a cub. "Juuso got some paint in his paws and started to make marks with them. We notic...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.