Lighthouses tell the story of the seas - Journey with the Lighthouse Maker
The sea and its stories have always captivated me, and in 1992, I decided to express this passion in an artistic way. Starting with small ceramic lighthouses, the idea of creating larger creations took root in my mind. In 2011, I realized my vision of crafting my first concrete lighthouse. I worked for two months with a silicone mold, and eventually, I managed to create one lighthouse using it. Unfortunately, I noticed that the silicone shrank slightly and wasn’t suitable for making straight lighthouses.
Faced with this challenge, I developed a device that allowed me to essentially ‘throw’ the shape of the lighthouse body. However, that attempt didn’t yield the desired results. The next step was a fiberglass mold, which I’ve used for crafting MW 270 concrete lighthouses for the past ten years. Later on, I incorporated metal sheet elements into my designs. Metal provides a cleaner finish, and its handling requires modest space, making the garage a perfect workspace.
The future brought about larger lighthouses, all of which are custom-made. My most significant achievement so far has been the construction of a five-meter-tall lighthouse.
My entire artistic journey began around 1990 when my father, Kari Isopahkala, developed a ceramic boat series. These caricature-like sailboats were popular in stores. When the economic downturn hit and the ‘China phenomenon’ emerged, I shifted my focus to more demanding and valuable ship miniatures, which thrived despite challenging times. I spent nearly 20 years building ships before transitioning to lighthouses.
Although most of my time is spent crafting lighthouses, I can’t resist the temptation to build occasional miniature boat models from my own drawings during the winter months.