Finland is our closest neighbor, which St Petersburg has recently been discovering anew, like turning over a new leaf. You can find very few people in our city who do not have a favorite corner in that country. Few people do not have their own attitude, their personal story of relations with Finland. These relations are varied and numerous. Borey opens an exhibition of five Finnish artists from the “Kotka Artists’ Association”. It is an exclusive opportunity to see at once several artists’ feeling for their motherland. The works presented at the exhibition are made in various techniques and styles and by totally different personalities.
Anne Randén (born in Laitila in 1953).
After finishing Painting School of Turku Artistic Union (1973-1977), Anne Randén studied at Arts and Crafts Institute, graphical design department (1977-1982), then finished the course of design in Kouvola Institute (1999-2000) and the course of making adornments at the Institute of Design (Lahti, 2004-2006).
Anne Randén’s personal shows took place in the Modern Art Gallery (Kotka, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2006), Art Gallery of Finnish Graphics (Kuusankoski, 2002-2003), DIX Gallery (Helsinki, 2004), Art-Place (Anjalankoski, 2007) and Laterna Magica (Helsinki, 2009).
"Art is an activity, from which I draw permanent intellectual delight. Every time to bring to life a creative idea you need to think over again and again which material and technique to use. In my view, artwork cannot be separated from delight. And this pleasure from creation does not disappear even if the final result never meets expectations. Such ravishing joy is much of a children’s play".
Irma Laukkanen (born in Kotka in 1958). A sculptor.
She got artistic education at Finnish Academy of Arts, painting department (1977-1981) and sculpture department (1981-1982).
Since 1981 Irma Laukkanen has participated in collective exhibitions in Finland and abroad, in Bonn, Lubeck, Rostock, Malmö, Paris, Moscow, Stockholm.
The sculptor’s solo shows are often held in Helsinki Gallery of Sculpture. Laukkanen actively participates in contests and has awards. In the fine arts contest for making an interior design for the major library of Vantaa she won the First Prize and the third place (1984); she took the first place in the contest for making a curtain design for Ateneum auditorium (1989) and won the First Prize in a sculpture contest in Hyvinkää together with Markku Hirvelä (2007).
"In my sculptural compositions I seek to embody my inner experience, get free from gathered experience and images. I am attracted by deep values which cannot be caught at first glance, almost imperceptible phenomena.
Glass is a wonderful substance, which nature is hidden in the triviality of everyday construction material. In the meantime, its transparent crystallinity gives an artist an opportunity to make the substance of an ideal world perceptible, for instance, render a contact of human spirituality with otherness. “I often woke up at night” composition, presented at the show includes glass plaques, polished by sand, and metal; engraving and oil painting were used to make it. The idea was born under the influence of a novel 'A disturbance in the landscape' by a Finnish writer Raija Siekkinen, from which the texts were borrowed".
Markku Hirvelä (born in Rovaniemi in 1956). A sculptor.
Studied at Helsinki University, History of Arts faculty (1978-1979) and Finnish Academy of Arts (1980-1984). The sculptor works with different materials, his works are made of bronze, stone, concrete, wood. Since 1982 Markku Hirvelä has been a participant of collective shows in Finland and abroad, in Moscow, St Petersburg, Paris, Berlin, Lubeck, Bonn.
"In my sculptures I try to create an impression of instant insight, new perspectives discovery. In my view, the starting point of creative work is a dialogue between a man and nature, as well as eternal repetition of birth and death. For me presence of a shadow is a necessary continuation of my sculptures’ figural images. You can hardly find another means of expression, in which one can feel fragility, finiteness of being to the full extent". Mauri Olavi Keinänen (born in Varkaus in 1949). An artist, Master of Theology.
Mauri Olavi Keinänen studied history of arts and pedagogics at Tampere University (1973-1974), studied at School of Art in Lahti (1974-1975), took painting classes in Helsinki University (1975-1981). Keinänen was granted a Master of Theology degree in Helsinki University (1981). He took a course of studies in Arts and Crafts Institute (1976-1984) and Lahti Art Institute, specializing in graphics (1998-2000). For more than 20 years Keinänen served in Finnish Lutheran church, for 10 years as a priest and as a person responsible for work with the youth. He left his service due to activities of an artists’ group “Cuckoo” in Espoo. With his participation this group arranged more than ten art exhibitions in Finland and abroad. For the first time Keinänen’s works were presented at the show of Tampere Art Society (1969). His works were exhibited at 12 solo shows in Finland and abroad, including the ones in Borey Gallery in St Petersburg (2001) and in Deco Gallery in Tallinn (2007). "I think that there is enough horror and rudeness in our world, that is why in my hand-made paper works I try to show up beauty. I strike for something in my compositions which will turn them into visual jewels". Outi Sunila (born in Kotka in 1970)
After finishing lyceum (1989), Outi Sunila studied at Joensuu University (1989- 1992), then in Arts and Crafts Institute, arts pedagogics faculty (1992-2005), in Utrecht School of Art (Germany, 1997) and Finnish Academy of Arts (1996-2002). Sunila’s most important solo shows in Helsinki are: Love'n'death (2001); Scarlett (2003); It’s Art! Recipes of Modern Art (2007); Dash the world! (2010). Outi Sunila is a permanent participant of collective shows in Finland and abroad, among which we should mention expositions in Oulu (2001), Turku (2002), Kotka (2008 and 2009), Lappeenranta (2010), Helsinki (2010), as well as Hamburg (2002) and Copenhagen (2003).
In recent years the artist has been a permanent participant of screenings, among which we should mention the International media-art festival in Lima (Peru, 2005); a festival in Gdansk and Warsaw (Poland, 2005); Vera cinema festival (Aland Islands, 2007); a festival in Riga (Latvia, 2010). |
