4th Sept, 2019 my solo exhibition opened in Gallery Duetto, Kalevankatu 15, Helsinki.
It will be open until 29. Sept, 2019.
I have 22 pieces to show and except three of them they are all finished this year and describe a human being way or another.
I am frequently asked what’s the material and how am I working with it. I am using linen fibers. I dye fibers with textile dyes to be able to keep the color tones well. Still, you don’t want to place the piece under straight sun shine 24/7. Neither oil paintings, nor graphic sheets…
Then I sort of paint and draw with the fiber. Flax is naturally covered with wax that “glues” fibers to each other but in addition to that, I have some tricks too, like stitching with a sewing machine. It’s interesting how this kind of result is rather close to a woven structure!
I am curious about how delicate the look can be and still provide strenght that should be expected from an art piece. Actually, flax is really strong and I may need a sharp tool to brake even a thin line of it. A try to cut fibers only by hand easily ends up in broken skin.
The story of linen and its various use in our societies throughout history is really fascinating! Also from that point of view it’s rather self evident that I use flax to make images of human beings.
This exhibition was supported by Taike / a public display grant. Thanks for that!
A detail of Tangles 4. I’ve made a series of images with tangled hair. It’s a good metaphor for some obstacles we have in our lives.
Organizer, 2019 (about 82 x 70 cm). This piece is about a need of organizing things around us.
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