A group exhibition called ‘Freshly Painted’, showcasing the work of young artists, will feature mainly visual artists living and working in Finland who primarily use painting as their artistic medium.The participants are Emma Ainala, Milla Aska, Siiri Haarla, Karoliina Hellberg, Kaisa Huotari, Juliana Hyrri, Annamaari Hyttinen, Essi Kuokkanen, Raana Lehtinen, Eeva Lietonen, Emma Luukkala, Iisa Maaranen, Elin Odentia (Sweden), Melina Paakkonen, Sirkku Rosi, Kerttu Saali, Johanna Saikkonen, Riikka Sormunen, Astrid Strömberg, and Ebba Svensson (Sweden).
The exhibition program at the Sara Hildén Art Museum is based on the Sara Hildén Foundation’s collection, and painting has been one of the collection’s focal points from the very beginning. The museum follows developments in contemporary painting and reflects them through the works in its collection.
The name and concept of the ‘Freshly Painted’ exhibition were suggested by Marika Mäkelä, a painter and one of the artists represented in the Sara Hildén Foundation’s collection. She has emphasised the significant support she has received from her female colleagues throughout her career. Mäkelä participated in the pioneering ‘Rakastetu kuva’ (Image of a Loved One) exhibition at Pyynikinlinna in Tampere in 1986. This was one of the first exhibitions in Finland to showcase exclusively female-created art. All of the participants were professional artists in their thirties who had successfully established themselves in the male-dominated art world. Now, forty years later, we take a look at the painting art of our time: what and how is being done now, how has the artist’s profession changed?
All invited participants will be represented by their own work and a selection of pieces they have proposed. The exhibition will feature several newly painted works that have not been seen before, which have been arranged into hanging collections based on their thematic content. To coincide with the exhibition, the Sara Hildén Art Museum will publish an illustrated catalogue featuring an article by Anna Tuori, a painter and artist included in the Sara Hildén Foundation’s collection.