PAINTINGS

The exhibition presents the latest works by three painters. Haapala is from Kokemäki in Satakunta, while Kärkkäinen and Viinikanoja live and work in Kuopio. The connecting link in the chain is Kärkkäinen, who is both Haapala’s fellow student and Viinikanoja’s husband. This group is now exhibiting together for the first time in this composition.

TAPIO HAAPALA

The theme of my paintings has been the masculine basic instinct: construction. This instinct is a powerful force in my life, and based on my observations, it also plays a role in the lives of many men I know. It seems to be an instinctual, fundamental activity: nest-building. To be honest, I’ve also observed similar instinctual behaviors in women.

The works feature unfinished structures, overlapping structures, and beginnings of new possibilities. In the paintings, I contrast wild and free painting with clear line drawings. At times, I strive for expressive yet aesthetically confident line-drawing expressions, akin to calligraphy.

I also continuously paint subjects related to people, mostly faces. These works are smaller in size and are often created more quickly. The larger quantity of painting sketches and the fact that they are made on sturdy board surfaces also allow for different experiments and the use of more aggressive tools in comparison to larger paintings. “Post-processing” is an essential part of the creation process: juxtaposing different elements is not only conceptually interesting but also enjoyable as a working process due to the drilling, screwing, and other methods involved. My builder self finds satisfaction in artistic expression as well.

REIJO KÄRKKÄINEN

Currently, I feel that I’ve rediscovered the immediacy in my paintings that I had about ten years ago when I was finishing my studies and had my first painting exhibition at Vanha Gallery. Of course, my working methods have evolved over the years, as they should, but it feels good to still be standing before the same motifs.

Although I am interested in art theory and history, I don’t consider myself to be a particularly contemplative or intellectual figure in my art. I find my subjects more through feeling, as reactions to the surrounding world and its shortcomings. Colors are also important. My drawings are mostly in black and white, and painting serves as a counterbalance to that. In drawing, thought is present, but in painting, process, narrative, and the subconscious merge. What I don’t want to say aloud, I leave as a splash of color, integrating it into the composition.

The splashes and drips are also my commentary and my expression of gratitude for the liberation already fought in art history.

My themes could also be considered memories, as the song lyrics in my paintings have at one point in my life been meaningful, even though in the paintings they appear primarily as ironic and humorous comments.

Thanks to Jung for the subconscious, Dubuffet for the excellent exhibition, Basquiat for showing that an untrained black person could succeed in the art world to a certain extent, Le Dernier Cri for collaboration and teachings, and my wife Riikka, who tolerated my painful painting sessions behind the wall. A huge thanks also to the Arts Promotion Centre, without which I’d be financially struggling.

RIIKKA VIINIKANOJA

Over the years, I’ve worked on various themes, but I’ve found my red thread in the middle of it all: still life painting. I am increasingly fascinated by the traditional still life with its symbolic meanings.

My latest theme is fertility, the gift. In this theme, I reflect on the life choices of (female) artists: career or family. The symbolic objects that represent my theme are placed in the foreground, floating loosely, as individual pieces, set against their background or firmly positioned on a surface.

In my works, I juxtapose symbols like the seed and the condom. The concave shapes, along with the spoon and bowl I use, symbolize fertility, as do the seed-rich fruits like tomatoes and melons. The carnation represents a strong and lasting bond of love. The use of the condom alongside these symbols creates an interesting contradiction: it prevents fertility, yet it is filled with it.

I have often used fabric as a subject. Its meaning varies depending on the context. Mysterious and erotic when necessary.

This text was created with AI assistance