An exhibition of the photo project ‘Löyly Life’ will be at 73 Tontine Street Gallery, Folkestone, from Monday 15th - Saturday 20th August

Photographer George Cory will bring his project ‘Löyly Life’a to 73 Tontine Street Gallery Folkestone in August to document the British Sauna Movement.

The exhibition, which will run from August 15th - 20th, will also launch a small run of books created that feature the project.

Varying types of saunas have been available in the UK for years, with many being in gyms, hotels and spas, but there has been a recent influx of traditional, portable, beachside saunas, including in Kent.

“With a deep-rooted history predominately located in Finland, the cultural impact of saunas is substantial across Scandinavia,” says George. “For someone brought up in Finland, sauna culture is second nature, and its rules are instinctive.

“However, this traditional pastime has slowly made its way to the UK, with many brits immersing themselves in the heritage and folklore of sauna and trying to stick closely to the habitual conventions found across Northern Europe. A few that have tried this way of life have gone as far as to create the ‘British Sauna Society’ and passionately open their own portable saunas to try and provide a small slice of Finland on the shorelines of the UK.”

George has spent the last year travelling to the most established of these seaside saunas.

“With only a handful of these independent saunas opening along the shoreline, the few coastal communities that have access to them have been able to discover the many health gains and positive effects on their mental wellbeing,” he explains. “With genuine medical benefits including cardiovascular exercise, improved blood circulation, cleansed skin and soothed muscles. These saunas are also going hand in hand with the now well-established and frequently documented hobby of cold-water swimming, with many enjoying a post swim sauna.

“The name of the project is ‘Löyly Life’ - The Finnish word ́löyly ́ is difficult to translate precisely but denotes as a more specific name for the evaporating hot steam in a sauna that rises from the coals or stones after water has been carefully thrown on top of them. It is a word that is strictly engrained in Finnish sauna custom and is deep-rooted in folklore, traditionally the word also refers to the soul of the body and has many spiritual connotations.”

“I am one of the first photographers to immerse myself in this new and emerging culture and have so far documented the owners, builders, and users, that are so passionate about their almost ritualistic steam baths. I have brought attention to this new-found seaside subculture and have started to celebrate those that are reaping the benefits of sauna life.”

Since starting this project in early 2021 there has been a large rise in traditional, often portable, waterside saunas. In Kent, we have access to the Haeckels Community Sauna in Walpole Bay, Margate and the Steampunk Sauna in Folkestone. Both offering authentic wood fired sauna.

“My intended outcome for this project, was to create a body of work that not only reflects the passion of those involved with the saunas but an opportunity to express the importance of Finnish sauna culture and how we should adopt these values in Britain,” adds George.

An exhibition of the photo project ‘Löyly Life’ will be at 73 Tontine Street Gallery Folkestone from Monday 15th - Saturday 20th August. The exhibition will also launch a small run of books created that feature the project. Including foreword from sauna owner Sam Glyn-Jones and Q&A with Heartwood Saunas founder Olly Davey, which will be for sale across the duration.

To secure a copy of the book, please message @georgecory_ on Instagram - They’re priced at £15 (inc p&p)!