Red Threads – Nina Pörn and Päivi Kukkasniemi

NINA PÖRN – Drawings, downstairs
PÄIVI KUKKASNIEMI – Watercolors, upstairs

In August 2008, Nina Pörn and Päivi Kukkasniemi had exhibitions in adjacent rooms at Taidepanimo in Lahti. As a result, they held a joint exhibition at S-Galleria in Helsinki in February 2009. Now, in March 2010, their exhibition is featured at Poriginal Gallery.

The theme Red Threads originated when Päivi Kukkasniemi was painting, and her paper tore. The tear in the expensive paper was so frustrating that she took red thread from a cupboard and sewed the tear. This resulted in the artwork Stitched Horizon.

The red thread appears only in a few of Päivi’s works in a literal sense. In the rest, it serves as a thematic element, something that carries the viewer from one landscape to another, from one thought to the next—a journey through life. Päivi paints large-scale watercolors on roll paper, where color plays a crucial role. Her paintings are more about emotions than intellectual studies, with colors representing feelings.

Päivi is a visual artist from Helsinki who has also studied art therapy. She teaches Joyful Painting courses in Helsinki and Sysmä.

Nina Pörn is a visual artist from Pori and works as an art teacher at Pori’s Swedish Community School. Most of her works in this exhibition are pencil drawings, although her artistic foundation is in metal graphics.

Nina has allowed her creative process to take different paths, with the red thread guiding her. One path has led her into the world of goddesses, while another has taken her to forgotten objects, contrasting with pieces where architectural values serve as the starting point. The exhibition also includes mixed-media works that, in their own way, engage with the theme.

This text was created with AI assistance