MUNDUS – Ilkka Väätti

I have been working on the MUNDUS series since 1993. The series includes oil paintings, graphic prints, and architectonics. My images are a kind of cosmogram – worldviews.

I aim to make personal interpretations of existing images. I am a cultural nomad, and my motifs come from the collective memory of humanity: from the Viking Age, Celtic worlds, Byzantine art, early Renaissance Europe, and the ancient cultures of Asia, America, and Africa.

I have the mind of a researcher. Curiosity and the search for new knowledge have always been part of my life. I often embark on cultural research trips both abroad and at home. I visit museums in various towns to explore collections, study picture books in libraries, and old manuscripts in archives. From the perspective of a visual artist, I map out the archetypal imagery of humankind and the collective memory heritage. I am also fascinated by the sacred – the spiritual tradition of altar paintings has been the subject of my artistic research. I strive to create sublime images that touch people’s emotions.

I am an heir to the geometric tradition. My images appear quite abstract, and they can also be viewed as such. However, each image has its origin in art history. The artwork I create can therefore be viewed simultaneously as both an abstract and representational image. The starting image might be a small fragment of a work of art or its simplified overall shape.

I have chosen these image motifs from thousands upon thousands of images. What has been important is that I can relate to these images and their creators. Each one of them is my spiritual ancestor. If I had lived earlier, I would have worked alongside them.

This text was created with AI assistance