GIVE ME A NAME – Maaria Oikarinen

The large, colorful abstract paintings in my exhibition have been created layer by layer—by splashing, shaking, turning, dropping, tapping by hand, and skating with my feet. I have played and fought with color, attacked and strategized. Sometimes, harsh actions are needed, while at other times, a single drop can solve everything.

Color is the queen of my paintings; everything begins with color and happens on color’s terms. Sometimes, I feel that color has a will of its own—that it is stronger and wiser than the painter. Color calls for another and a third, as many colors as the painting needs. The possibilities are endless. The different combinations of colors fascinate, invite, and surprise; they can take one to new, unknown places.

The title of this exhibition is a request, a wish, or an encouragement. “Give me a name,” the painting asks. Leave a message in the box in the gallery. You can give a name to one painting or to all of them. Perhaps the painting tells a story, or maybe it brings a memory to mind. Does it evoke a feeling? The painting might look like a landscape: is it a stormy autumn night or the endless summer night of Lapland? Do you recognize figures? It could be that the experience can’t be named; sometimes words are not needed. The painting could be like a poem, or you might hear music in it. The painting may feel like a caress on the skin or a cramp in the heart.

I will post the name suggestions later on my website at maariaoi.blogspot.fi.
If you want to know more about my work, visit my blog at hekuma.blogspot.fi.

Translated with ChatGPT