Wednesday, 4 August 2010

Habitare, Helsinki, Finland


Tuija Markonsalo



Tuija's dense bead work and baby faces definitely made an impression at Habitare.  This is the first time I had seen work like this, and done in such a good way.  Her intense beading is striking, and the time and effort gone into each piece is obvious.  The choice of the weird and wonderful baby dolls have left a creepy imprint in my mind, which is always a good thing.  I think this is a case of 'I wish I had done that', and I am envious of her patience.

Aino Kajaniemi

                           Things I Never Did, 2007, tapestry

I find myself fascinated by textiles outside of my own specialism of embroidery.  Weave in particular, never fails to leave me perplexed.  Aino Kajaniemi is no exception.  I looked upon her illustrative weaves with awe, and my mind was put in a twist.  I can honestly say I have no idea how she created such spot on translations of drawings to weave!

Studio Kaisi



Of all the work displayed at Habitare, I have selected probably the least traditionally Finnish work.  Finland, like other Scandinavian art, is very function based, meaning it tend to be very plain.  However, Studio Kaisi is a perfect example of a Finnish artist going against the traditional trend.  Bold two tone prints, with hectic illustrative designs dominated the space.  I was especially drawn to the framed work which, as shown above, was displayed in a much more interesting fashion.  Although the frames are busy and perhaps over bearing, they are a great way of gaining the attention of passers by.

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