SECONDARY MEANINGS – Synnöve Dickhoff, Helena Kaikkonen, Ulla Pohjola, Kaija Poijula

The human mind, life events, the history of objects, and the many meanings found in things and nature. While we share similar emotions, each person ultimately creates their own world.

In our artistic practice, the connection between gaze, hands-on making, and the subconscious holds a special place. Our themes revolve around the passage of time, nature, memories, and the layered nature of the subconscious.

Our group consists of four accomplished artists, each of whom has held multiple solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group and collective exhibitions in Finland and abroad.

In this group exhibition, our works take on new meanings and connections through dialogue with one another.

Synnöve Dickhoff (Helsinki)

My works are visual notations on themes of the human life cycle, limitations, and transience. They stem from pivotal moments that alter the course of life, events of the times, and their reflections within me. My intuitive and slow creative process is an essential part of my work’s visual expression. I aim to evoke a strong presence of the subconscious, memory, and recollection by handling paper and textiles in various ways.
www.synnovedickhoff.com

Helena Kaikkonen (Oulu)

In my works, I seek to capture the atmosphere of a specific place, event, or experience. These moods blend with subconscious memories and the layers of time. The northern landscape and nature are also present in my works, both in their materials and themes. I work with various methods, combining different techniques with textile materials.
www.helenakaikkonen.fi

Ulla Pohjola (Tampere)

My works explore themes of concealment, camouflage, protection, and transformation. Embroidered butterflies or human figures are often placed—or hidden—within natural materials, small boxes, and the tarred or painted hollows of ladles. The fusion of natural materials with embroidery brings human figures closer to the cycles of nature and the changing seasons. The combination of embroidery, painting, and various materials emphasizes the contrast between the living and the inanimate in multiple ways.
www.ullapohjola.fi

Kaija Poijula (Helsinki)

The person sitting across from me on the tram, a morning newspaper article, a child’s remark, a sleepless night, music, film, a friend—everything contains “material” for my work. Fragile moments that often go unnoticed until they are lost. Beliefs, legends, instinct. Borderlands of sorts, the fleeting thresholds of the day, the invisible and the perceptible—these are the subjects of my curiosity.
www.kaijapoijula.com