PLACES IN THE SUN – Raana Lehtinen

The paintings originate from real-life moments that I have paused to observe. The figures depicted are my loved ones, often captured during family gatherings. In these moments spent together, time seems to stand still, marked by a profound sense of presence. My paintings, too, exist in the moment. Through painting, the passage of time can almost be halted, allowing for deep immersion in the scene at hand. In doing so, something may emerge—something that might otherwise have been lost beneath the relentless turning of time’s wheel.

I primarily paint based on my own photographs, supplementing them with memories and direct observations of my subjects. By merging material from multiple sources, I echo the wandering of both gaze and thought. In my process, I strive to create a harmonious dialogue between different elements. No single part stands alone; instead, all components come together to form a unified whole. I am particularly interested in the boundary between figures and their backgrounds—one could think of this as the space where a person meets the world.

The exhibition title, Places in the Sun, refers both to humanity’s physical position on Earth as it orbits the Sun and to a state of mind in which one can feel happiness regardless of external circumstances. Though the Sun does not appear directly in any of the exhibition’s works, its light is always present in the form of color. Beneath these paintings lies a utopian vision of a world where everyone feels so content that there is no need to take from another. By portraying everyday moments in a magical light, I wish to express my belief that every second holds the potential for wonder.

Raana Lehtinen is a painter based in Helsinki who graduated from the Free Art School in 2019.