Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Meet Juuso the painting brown bear - Finland's next biggest export

A 1,000 pound brown bear is establishing himself in the Finnish art scene after selling several paintings.

Charlie Atkin
Wednesday 04 November 2015 13:41 GMT
Comments
Juuso, the bear who paints

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Meet Juuso the bear, Finland's fastest (and probably largest) rising artist.

A 1,000 pound brown bear is establishing himself in the Finnish art scene after selling several paintings.

Juuso was raised by Sulo Karjalainen and Pasi Jäntti since he was a cub at the Kuusamo Predator Centre, where orphaned animals are sheltered.

"We treat animals that are found in nature like cubs whose mothers have been shot," Pasi told The Independent.

Two Juuso originals that have already sold
Two Juuso originals that have already sold (Juuso the Bear)

They also care for "wounded and starving animals, such as bear cubs that are victims of car accidents."

The money raised by Juuso's paintings are being sold to help provide for the six orphaned bears that currently reside there.

Juuso's keepers say that he enjoys the process of using his entire body to express his artistic side.

So far 13 paintings have been finished by Juuso and six have been sold.

If you would like to browse Juuso's work or help contribute to the centre, here is a link to the website.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in