The Artist

Mr. Jorma Parkkari, the artist behind Glowway products, was born in 1955 in the town of Vaasa, on the west coast of Finland. From very young, he was interested in creativity and handicrafts. During the metal-workshop lessons at school, when the other students were learning how to make utility articles, he welded metal birds. However, his career as an artist would not start until some years later. The first serious attempt took place when he was 20, when he dragged an enormous block of wood from the forest into the garage of a friend and started to furiously model it with an axe. The result was quite amazing – even to the artist himself. The block of wood had been converted into a life-size, smiling seal. Parkkari presented his work in one of the most prestigious and oldest art galleries in Helsinki, where the young man was told to keep developing his skills and where they also promised to exhibit his future works. However, the seal found its home in the head offices of a shipping company, Silja Line. At the beginning of 1990, his ardent desire to make his living with his art became so strong that he left his regular job and started to promote his skills to building owners. Finally his persistence was rewarded and the orders began trickling in.

Jorma Parkkari

Jorma Parkkari has never in his life held an exhibition; he has only been focused on works made to order and at some periods the customers had to wait even two years. At the beginning of 2000, a certain professional’s magazine specialized in the rescue sector, wanted to write an article about the house number signs innovated by the artist. These number signs combined the afterglow effect with the visual aspects. The editor-in-chief of this magazine mentioned that a group of Finnish Chief Fire Officers had been visiting the rescue and fire extinguishing sector in Japan. The group had been very impressed by what they saw and especially by the new exit sign system implemented in Japan. These exit signs were installed right into the floor in large public spaces. The editor-in-chief wanted to know, if the artist would be interested in developing a Finnish solution version for this system.

Jorma Parkkari immediately understood the necessity of developing such a product. He also understood something else: he would never find an architect who would approve the traditional symbol of the “running man” embedded into the floor. The artist’s point of view was that these signs should fit into the visual look of the building and that they should also be convertible, according to the different construction styles and to the architects’ desires and visions. Following a development process of one year, the project reached a stage where he was ready to file a patent application for his innovation. After a favorable decision, the innovation was also patented internationally.

The experience acquired for more than two decades as an author of artworks for buildings, was a complete eye opener both for the artist and also for property owners who commissioned his works. The maintenance intervals have currently become clearly wider. This fact has caused a big surprise. The social structure of the building area has had nothing to do with this phenomenon. The difference is completely clear and the results are the same all over the country. People greatly appreciate the fact that their surroundings are more comfortable and pleasant. The experience has also shown that if artworks are too difficult to approach, their lifespan is probably shorter. The best results are achieved when the work is carefully prepared. Studying the history of the surrounding area usually reveals some interesting facts. Incorporating a story in every work has proven to be a good way to obtain the support of the inhabitants for the projects.

Jorma Parkkari estimates that the use of visually well designed and carefully made exit way signs in buildings gives the same added value, as the use of artworks in buildings. The safety and the image of the building increase, increasing the property’s prestige and value. Nowadays, the artist has almost completely transferred his passion into the development of these sign products, where he sees great opportunities. He is currently developing a project of active sign system, also starting from the visual aspects. In the web pages of Glowway you can find the works of the artist for over two decades.

These below 4 pieces by Mr. Parkkari are installed in Hamina, Finland. They are related to the life of Finland's national Composer Jean Sibelius. The real size of these pieces are 1 x 2 m each.