The summer is now…

 

…in the middle of winter. Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to all readers of my blog!

A portrait of Mrs Marimekko

 

Yes, we have seen her in numerous photos during all the years she was the CEO and the dictator of Marimekko. Her black dresses, her black cars, her black stilettos, her creative power and her strength of will. That volcano saved Marimekko when it was drowning after too many unsuccessful directors and economic decisions.
Now she is more or less retired, so it was time to immortalize her by painting her portrait and at the same time celebrating the company´s 60th anniversary.
Instead of a stiff and painfully formal painting so many portraits are the artist Marjatta Tapiola pictured Kirsti Paakkanen with airy brush strokes capturing well her elegance and posture of iron.
The portrait will be hanging in company´s headquarters but to the end of this year it is seen at Marimekko´s shop Marikulma, first floor, Pohjoisesplanadi 33, Helsinki.

Photo of the painting by Paavo Lehtonen.

Waiting for Santa Claus

We all know how exciting life is in December when you are a kid waiting for the visit of Santa Claus. Every morning a opened new door of the Advent Calendar tells us that the much awaited Christmas evening is one day closer. 

I got this lovely Advent Calendar from my grandchild Julius, 6 years old. The small artist did write almost all numbers as he knows them and decided to save us from the effort of opening the doors by doing it himself!

Ladies first!

 

Saana Wang: Hujialou#80, 2009. Pigment print on aluminium, 

84 x 100 cm with frame.  Edition of 5 + 2 AP. 

This is SO true - the ladies rule today in the Finnish photography. Let´s have a look.

Last weekend I made a short visit to Berlin and saw even there that the Finnish photography is doing well. The doors to the international art scene have partly been opened with the hard work of Timothy Persons, his idea of “Helsinki School” photography and Gallery TaiK in Berlin where he lives nowadays. 

At the moment the gallery shows the Hujialou photos by Saana Wang, and the brand new volume 4 of Helsinki School pictures presents only Finnish female photographers.

Saana Wang: Hujialou # 60, 2009. Pigment print on aluminium, 

84 x 100 cm with frame.  Edition of 5 + 2 AP.

Saana Wang: Hujialou # 54, 2009. Pigment print on aluminium, 

84 x 100 cm with frame.  Edition of 5 + 2 AP.

Gallery TaiK, Bergstrasse 22, 10115 Berlin-Mitte. Open Tue-Sat 12 am to 6 pm. Saana Wang´s exhibition is open until 17th December. www.helsinkischool.fi/ 

And yesterday in Helsinki we did celebrate the work of a young woman photographer: the winner of Fotofinlandia 2011 photo competition was Maija Tammi with her Bingo portfolio. “Those are the pictures I would not like to see at my home, but they are strong and realistic and they tell an important story”, said the film director Dome Karukoski who chose the winner.

You can see more Maija Tammi´s pictures and also the other Fotofinlandia 2011 competitors at www.fotofinlandia.fi/ehdokkaat/

Maija Tammi: Ismo ja Marianne. Finnbingo, Turku,  4.4.2010.

Maija Tammi: Jouko. Finnbingo, Turku, 4.4.2010.

Maija Tammi: Bingo aunt Catzi. Boxing Bingo, Tampere 27.8.2010.