Modernist Futuristic Diver Brass Sculpture, Eldest by Sakari Kannosto 2025

Crafted in partially polished and patinated brass, Eldest is the companion work to Kannosto’s First-born, also listed on 1stdibs seperately, extending the artist’s vision of future hybrid beings shaped by a world transformed by rising seas and changing currents. The sculpture merges human and marine characteristics in a quiet, dignified figure whose posture is slightly reclined, as if preparing for departure—waiting for the long-anticipated surge of water that defines the series.

At the center of the work is the idea of adaptation. Kannosto’s diver-creatures carry the next generation on their backs, a literal and symbolic continuation of life under shifting conditions. The form draws on mythological archetypes, the silhouettes of Art Deco, and echoes of science fiction and popular culture, all distilled into a refined, contemporary sculptural language.

The contrasting brass surfaces—smoothly polished areas beside darker, patinated sections—give the sculpture depth and a sense of permanence. The work’s weight and material presence make it feel both ancient and futuristic, a monument to resilience. The sculpture can be secured from beneath with two threaded rods into stone, concrete, or any stable plinth. Made in 2025 and acquired directly from the artist.

Sakari Kannosto (b. 1973) is a Helsinki-based sculptor whose works explore the intersections of humanity, animal life, and imagined futures. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, he has exhibited widely and is represented in major Finnish public collections including the Finnish State Art Collection, EMMA, the Tampere Art Museum, and Aalto University. His work has been featured at TEFAF, Design Miami, and in exhibitions in New York. Kannosto has also completed significant public commissions in the Helsinki metropolitan area and is a member of the Arabia Art Department Society. His hybrid creatures place him among the key contemporary successors to Finland’s sculptural ceramics and narrative sculptural traditions.