KARI CAVÉN

TUM Records uses works of Finnish artists as cover art for its releases in order to visually distinguish them. The paintings used in the releases by TUM Records were chosen in collaboration with the artist himself.

Kari Cavén (b. 1954) is among the internationally best known Finnish artists of his generation. His work has been broadly exhibited in and outside of Finland and he has been featured at the Venice Biennale a total of three times (1988, 1990 and 1995).

After being rejected by the Senior High School for Arts in his hometown of Savonlinna, Cavén worked as a mailman while studying art at the Free Art School (1976-77), the University of Industrial Art (1977-78) and, finally, the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts (1978-82). After graduation, Cavén first became known for his oil paintings but soon gravitated towards working with found objects and materials. During the 1980s, his principal raw material was wood, often construction waste. Beginning in the early 1990s, Cavén has increasingly worked with metal and plastic as well.

An ever-present feature in Cavén´s work is his sense of humor that colors his perception of the world around us. Observed through his eyes, junk becomes something else - art.