Jari Jetsonen was born in 1958 in Hämeenlinna, Finland. Realizing his interest in photography in the early 1970s, he collected Coca Cola bottle caps to get his very first camera. The first camera was one of the most important encounters in his life. He was so happy to take beautiful nature around him. In addition, he unconsiously learned how to take a photo when he was taking his surroundings with his first camera. There is no doubt that these experiences made later Jari Jetsonen as the photographer.
After finishing school in Hämeenlinna Lyceum 1976, he worked a while for a cabinet making company Finn Woodwork LTd. Winnipeg, Canada. After graduating a collage from Kouvola, Finland 1979 he worked three years for Into Pyykkö architectural office in Helsinki
He started his own company in 1980 mainly focusing on architectural competition models. From 1987 he begun working ten years with architect Juha Leiviskä, Alvar Aalto museums and The Museum of Finnish Architecture models.
From 2000 Jari Jetsonen has mostly focused on photographing and designing exhibitions and books based on his photographs with themes such as Finnish Architecture, Alvar Aalto’s architecture and World Bathing culture. His projects include an exhibition on Finnish Sauna of which he was awarded the Finnish sauna society price in 2003 with Architect Severi Blomsted for the exhibition “Three Continents Bathing” -Finnish Sauna-Japanese Furo- Indian Inipi.
Since 1986 he has taught basics of architectural techniques. His clases include measuring drawings, building architectural models and photographing in several universities and workshops in Finland, Japan, USA and Turkey In his models and photographs he would like to show people the way he loves the nature, it’s materials and tradition. In his photographs you might see what is the long road “ the Japanese ma” between the camera and the object.
