“In popular culture, popcorn is a snack strongly associated with movies, children’s parties and nibbling while watching TV. It serves as a metaphor for detachment, being on the outside. Popcorn is eaten when events are watched from the sidelines.

Porous popcorn sinks into the ceramic mass, it burns away during firing, but its form remains. This is like magic. The end result is a mystery, a wonderful play of materials, which one views with unbelief. The popcorn in Kulju’s artworks is the form of popcorn, which in reality is valuable as a material. An especially fine juxtaposition is created when the popcorn sculptures are made from hard, luminously white bone china.”

Veikko Halmetoja, Gallery Halmetoja