Life-size sculpture and multi projector installation

Exhibition view from Anima Mundi Gallery (2021), St Ives, Cornwall, UK

”The father sits firmly in the chair and the daughter floats in the air, holding the father’s shoulder
with one hand. The sculpted human figures are realistically sized and lit so that their shadows
form a beautiful picture on the walls. Both figures are eyes closed and the mood of the scene is
dreamy.
Home, memories, childhood, growing up and giving up are central themes throughout the exhibition. In this work the characters are perhaps giving up on each other little by little: the parent already dares to close his eyes, the child is only half attached to the parent, flying towards adulthood. The grip does not come off completely, the aging father also needs care.
The work’s source of inspiration has been 19th-century family portraits. In the old pictures, the exposure time was long and you had to stay still for long time. If the exposure time would have lasted for years – all the way from childhood to adulthood, what would have been captured in the picture?”

Quote is from the exhibition brochure, solo show, Salo art Museum (2023). Text: Minna Nyqvist, Jarno Vesala