The works of Carolus Enckell (b. 1945), one of the leading painters in Finland, from the late 1960s up to the present day had been collected for this large-scale retrospective exhibition.

The starting point for Enckell’s undemonstrative works is often a landscape, but the principal focus is on the depiction of colour and light. For Enckell, an immediate observation is distilled into pure fields of colour and geometric compositions in the form of stripes, for example.

Enckell strives to eliminate individuality from his works in order that they might function like icons and create an atmosphere of stillness, with the artist remaining in the background. His works are based on borrowings from the history of art and culture, partly as a criticism of what he regards as the overvaluation of originality.

He has been inspired particularly by the history of modernism.

The artist’s many journeys, which almost resemble pilgrimages, to the Far East, North Africa, America and the Mediterranean have offered him endless material for his artistic work. He has also been inspired by ancient cultures.

Enckell was named Artist of the Year in 1990, and among other distinctions he has received the Carnegie Art Award (2001) and the Pro Finlandia medal (2009).