Malmitalo Gallery presents the exhibition Uumen by Piia Kokkarinen 6–29 April, 2023.  

Welcome to the exhibition opening on Wednesday, 5 April 5–7 pm! 

 Image: Piia Kokkarinen – Hehkuva, oil on canvas, 150 x 120 cm, 2023 

Piia Kokkarinen: Uumen 

In her work, Piia Kokkarinen looks for an impression of rippling space and depth. Her paintings are, in a way, abstract environments where the viewer can wander around and dive into. Kokkarinen is interested in the abstract form in creating space. She tries to create the feeling that there is something happening in the background, behind, hidden, and that the event can be heard from far away. In this case, something opens up, but doesn’t quite reveal itself. 

“In my paintings, I approach space through movement and time. The paintings move towards space, pass it, and leave it behind. I want the final form in my painting to be open and surprising and to embody the process of formation rather than the finished form. In this way, the paintings also refer to the nature of life: its incompleteness and movement, a constant search.” 

Piia Kokkarinen is a visual artist from Helsinki who mainly works with oil paint and charcoal. In her works, she deals with themes such as immateriality and the passing of time. Piia has graduated as visual artist from the Lahti Art Institute, and she is currently doing Master studies at the Academy of Fine Arts.