PROCESSION OF THE STRANGE – Mikko Kallio

“Carnival and masquerade processions have fascinated me since childhood – they are comparable to the many possibilities of human life, courage, and the emergence of layers of the mind that are hidden. In the works of my exhibition, a utopian free world emerges, where a caravan of the strange walks – all living beings of the world. Among them is, for example, a pointy-hatted animal, a clown peeking out of darkness, and a pregnant man. The characters in the paintings and collages are not ashamed of their differences and weaknesses, but instead, they boldly strive, both individually and together, toward peculiar and seemingly impossible goals.” (Mikko Kallio)

“Through Mikko Kallio’s works, a unique world opens up, where different things mix effortlessly. Energy flows, humans intersect with grass, rough beings hop, stumble, and swarm in lines across vast landscapes. It takes a moment before I am drawn into these landscapes. Then, a strange sense of peace overtakes me. Judgement ceases. All the differences harmonize together like a band playing inexplicable instruments beneath the paint surface. The works raise the question of whether one can assign a clear meaning or explanation to everything one experiences – and if that is even necessary.” (FM Jarkko Suhonen)

The exhibition of Tampere-based Mikko Kallio (b. 1971, Espoo) consists of paintings and collages made on paper. In his paintings, he uses various materials such as wood, sand, and flea market objects. The works refer to the regularities of the environment’s structures, the patterns of clothing and home textiles, as well as observations of the details of nature and the movement of molecules inside the human body.

Thanks for the support: Finnish Cultural Foundation of Pirkanmaa and the Arts Promotion Centre Finland.

Translated with ChatGPT