Opening of the exhibition: Wednesday 1 May, 14 – 17
Spring, the moment that all Finnish residents have been waiting for, brings light and color back to their hearts and minds. The colors, the variations of light and shadow in art, partly unite and separate the works of Kikka, Minna and Luciana. However, the atmosphere and the playful, naive outlook on life create common paths for these friends in the world of art. Individually, their art differs, but combined like this, it evokes the same warm, springtime atmosphere. This exhibition will certainly immerse you in the playfulness and joy of the Finnish spring.
About the artists:
Minna Lehväslaiho is an illustrator, naive artist, art teacher, and scientist from Kauniainen. She likes to create happy art, and in her paintings even houses are happy and kind. Minna’s preferred media are acrylics, ink, and watercolors. Minna is a member of Finnish Naive Artists, Kuvittajat, and Freelance Graafikot. A two-time postcard artist of the year, she loves to illustrate postcards and postage stamps.
Born in 1971 and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Luciana Mariano is the third generation of naive artists in her family. Everyone around her did some art: grandmother, uncles, mother, but only as a hobby. She made a career in the corporate market and painted only in her spare time. Until she was 38, feeling ashamed of her childish trait, she discarded everything she painted immediately after finishing. In 2008, her production became more intense, leading to her first exhibition. Since then, she has been showing and selling her art in many countries around the world. In 2018, she moved to Finland, and in 2023, she became a Finnish citizen. She is now devoting herself full-time to restarting her career in Europe. Finland is finally the place she loves to call “her forever home”.
Kikka Nyrén: I paint with acrylics on canvas. Besides paintings, I also create sculptures in ceramics. In my paintings the world is at peace. With my art, I seek connection with strangers. We are different, which could make us rich if we choose so. I believe humans should respect nature (which we are part of), instead of destroying the place we live in. I believe animals are our brothers and sisters. My bright colors assure that there will be spring after the long and gray winter. Born in 1951 in Helsinki, Finland. Currently living in Lahti, Finland.
Friends from Helsinki: all invited! It will be a pleasure seeing you there!
The 9th painting of this series is called “Living with differences”. Although this series was made during my residency at the Serlachius Museum Residency, and my reflection was done around the challenges of my own immigration to Finland, the paintings seem to me now reaching much wider comprehension about the matter. By the time I was producing them, I knew that the same concept could be shared in different situations of disruptive, such as a divorce, a change of jobs, house, city or even death. The current world situation brought my ponderations into a wider spectrum, where the political and cultural factors play also an important point of consideration. Living with differences means adapting. Also means allowing diversities to thrive together. It plays both in the individual, personal allowance to existence but also in the collective force, since we are all bound and connected in the same planet and we are the same species with a pleiad of diverse cultures, religions, contexts, stories. We cannot push others out of existence in order to exist without any discomfort nor disagreement. We cannot cease to be because others a claim the right to settle in. A war, in the 21st century, sounds to me that we are refusing to evolve as a society and as human beings. A genocide and a colonial mindset makes it all even more unreasonable, primitive, despicable. The painting shows the beauty and the ugliness in the possibility of allowing those differences to co-exist. But above that, it reinforces the idea of necessary and possible peaceful and comfortable co-existance. We can still thrive and be sheltered. Adapt and find balance. Allow and be granted with acceptance. Extreme individuality and separation builds walls and not homes. Exposes greed and not kindness nor intelligence. Zionism must end. Humanity must prevail over insanity, selfishnesses and violence.
Luciana Mariano, April, 2024.
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Português:
A 9ª pintura desta série chama-se “Convivendo com as diferenças”. Embora esta série tenha sido realizada durante a minha residência na Residência do Museu Serlachius, e a minha reflexão tenha sido feita em torno dos desafios da minha própria imigração para a Finlândia, as pinturas parecem-me agora alcançar uma compreensão muito mais ampla sobre o assunto. Na época em que os produzia, sabia que o mesmo conceito poderia ser compartilhado em diferentes situações disruptivas, como divórcio, mudança de emprego, de casa, de cidade ou até morte. A actual situação mundial trouxe as minhas ponderações para um espectro mais amplo, onde os factores políticos e culturais desempenham também um importante ponto de consideração. Conviver com as diferenças significa adaptar-se. Também significa permitir que as diversidades prosperem juntas. Ela atua tanto na concessão individual e pessoal à existência, mas também na força coletiva, uma vez que estamos todos ligados e conectados no mesmo planeta e somos a mesma espécie com uma plêiade de diversas culturas, religiões, contextos, histórias. Não podemos expulsar os outros da existência para existir sem qualquer desacordo. Não podemos deixar de existir porque outros reivindicam o direito de se instalarem. Uma guerra, no século XXI, parece-me que nos recusamos a evoluir como sociedade e como seres humanos. Um genocídio e uma mentalidade colonial tornam tudo ainda mais irracional, primitivo e desprezível. A pintura mostra a beleza e a feiúra na possibilidade de permitir que essas diferenças coexistam. Mas, acima disso, reforça a ideia de uma coexistência pacífica e confortável necessária e possível. Ainda podemos prosperar e ser protegidos. Adaptar-nos e encontrar equilíbrio. Permitir e ser concedido com aceitação. A extrema individualidade e separação constroem muros e não casas. Expõem a ganância e não a gentileza, nem a inteligência. O sionismo deve acabar. A humanidade deve prevalecer sobre a insanidade, os egoísmos e a violência.
I have not been posting much recently because of the horrible genocide that is happening in Palestine and it has been taking my attention and energy for the past 75 days. And the Palestinians have been loosing energy and land for an extra 75 years. I am deeply concerned for humanity and how humans have been treating their own kind and the planet. I have many Jewish friends and I admire those that have been opposing to zionism, violence, occupation and war. As many said: You just need to be human to understand how wrong it all is. I also have many Muslim friends and now I understand better the prejudice they have been suffering for unbearable decades, perhaps even centuries. Finally I don’t know many Palestinians, unfortunately, but now I wish I did. I have heard, since my childhood about the “Palestinian cause” and didn’t have much awareness and knowledge to understand what kind of pain and suffering these kind people have been enduring for many generations. This horrendous war brought to my understanding the almost unimaginable series of losses, violence, cruelty and despair that Palestine, peacefully, bravely, has been dealing with for the endless past 75 years. There are bad human beings in all societies. I am afraid it is in our human nature as well. But the amount of humiliation and abuse they have faced for almost 8 decades, is beyond my comprehension. And yet, they cope, they resist. Their supernatural faith makes up to all the injustice and they gracefully resist, fiercely carry on, almost ignoring all the adversities so brutally imposed. Anyone who knows me a little, knows that I am a pacifist, a feminist, a socialist and an atheist. But perhaps, if I was born a Palestinian I would also have to surrender to religion. Being born in a place where your home can be occupied, stolen or bombed at any time, where children can’t have a peaceful upbringing, where parents have their kids murdered or kidnapped, where country sovereignty and human rights are not respected, perhaps I also would have to leave my life and hopes in the hands of god. Siege, occupation, violation of all rights, laws, dignity; that’s the daily life of the Palestinian people and yet the world seems relentlessly uninterested. So, the 8th painting of the “Finding Home” series, called “The difficult art of unpacking” (painted on February-March/2023 in Mänttä, Finland), was originally conceived considering the processes of immigration and relocation. As how difficult it is to pack your life, keep your treasures, hold on to your memories when you choose or have to start your life in a new place. It still applies. But now it also relates to the emotions that were arraised by the invasion and distruction of this unfair and unbalanced war. In the painting, one wrapped manikin represents the paychological difficulties to reach out of your own social limitations and boundaries, to come out of your comfort zone and expose yourself to a new society. While in this war, the bodies of men, women, children, babies and elderly wrapped in a white fabric, being exposed to the cruelty of a world that turns a blind eye to a broadcasted genocide. In this work, red walls represent emotions, while the walls and streets of Gazza are flooded with real civilian blood. The cozy furniture is the sign of the needed safety to start feeling home, while homes, lifes and stories are becoming gigantic piles of debris and dust with thousands of lifeless corpses under the rubble. There is no light and electricity in Palestine. No water nor food. No shelter of safe place. Only death and faith. They are surrounded by a greedy, violent enemy. And sitting on the land and oil that the liberal world likes so much. Humanity has failed Palestine, so they become superhumans without limbs and powerful humbleness. They starve and smile. They are attacked and the continue to dig the rubble for life. I would also trust God if I were them. Because humans are not to be trusted at this point. The suitcase of the painting holds only material things of emotional value. When everything else is destroyed, their hands and feet are tied, Palestinians hold their treasures inside their blindfolded eyes and free hearts. When the powerful, the media and humanity fails us, only God and Art can save us.
#ceasefirenow🇸🇩 #freepalestine🇸🇩
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Merry Christmas to all my friends and followers who will celebrate it.
This year I am not celebrating Christmas, because Palestine, the place were Christ was born is under siege, invasion, attack, genocide. I am not religious but I was raised Catholic and I love Christmas because of its traditions, the childhood memories of togetherness, presents, food, love. None of this is possible when the world allows the massacre of Palestinian people in the birthplace of Jesus. I will not contribute to a consumerism event, when the principle of love and humanity is not respected.
I wish you all a peaceful, more conscious and humane 2024.
May love and hope guide us to better days.
✨
*******PORTUGUES ABAIXO / PORTUGUESE BELOW******
Não tenho postado muito recentemente por causa do horrível genocídio que está acontecendo na Palestina e isso tem tomado minha atenção e energia nos últimos 75 dias. E os palestinianos têm vindo a perder energia e terras durante mais 75 anos. Estou profundamente preocupado com a humanidade e com a forma como os humanos têm tratado a sua própria espécie e o planeta. Tenho muitos amigos judeus e admiro aqueles que se opõem ao sionismo, à violência, à ocupação e à guerra. Como muitos disseram: Basta ser humano para entender o quanto tudo isso é errado. Também tenho muitos amigos muçulmanos e agora compreendo melhor o preconceito que têm sofrido durante décadas insuportáveis, talvez até séculos. Finalmente, infelizmente, não conheço muitos palestinos, mas agora gostaria de conhecer. Ouvi, desde a minha infância, sobre a “causa Palestina” e não tinha muita consciência e conhecimento para entender que tipo de dor e sofrimento essas pessoas gentis têm suportado por muitas gerações. Esta guerra horrenda trouxe-me ao conhecimento a série quase inimaginável de perdas, violência, crueldade e desespero com que a Palestina, de forma pacífica e corajosa, tem lidado nos últimos 75 anos. Existem seres humanos maus em todas as sociedades. Receio que também esteja na nossa natureza humana. Mas a quantidade de humilhação e abuso que enfrentaram durante quase 8 décadas está além da minha compreensão. E ainda assim, eles enfrentam, eles resistem. Sua fé sobrenatural compensa todas as injustiças e eles resistem graciosamente, prosseguem ferozmente, quase ignorando todas as adversidades tão brutalmente impostas. Quem me conhece um pouco sabe que sou pacifista, feminista, socialista e ateia. Mas talvez, se eu tivesse nascido palestiniano, também teria de me render à religião. Nascer em um lugar onde sua casa pode ser ocupada, roubada ou bombardeada a qualquer momento, onde as crianças não podem ter uma educação pacífica, onde os pais têm seus filhos assassinados ou sequestrados, onde a soberania do país e os direitos humanos não são respeitados, talvez eu também teria que deixar minha vida e esperanças nas mãos de Deus. Cerco, ocupação, violação de todos os direitos, leis, dignidade; essa é a vida quotidiana do povo palestiniano e, no entanto, o mundo parece implacavelmente desinteressado. Assim, a 8ª pintura da série “Finding Home”, chamada “A difícil arte de desfazer as malas” (pintada em fevereiro-março/2023 em Mänttä, Finlândia), foi originalmente concebida considerando os processos de imigração e relocação. Como é difícil arrumar a vida, guardar os tesouros, guardar as lembranças quando você escolhe ou tem que começar a vida em um novo lugar. Ainda se aplica. Mas agora também se relaciona com as emoções que foram despertadas pela invasão e destruição desta guerra injusta e desequilibrada. Na pintura, um manequim embrulhado representa as dificuldades psicológicas para superar suas próprias limitações e limites sociais, para sair de sua zona de conforto e se expor a uma nova sociedade. Enquanto nesta guerra, os corpos de homens, mulheres, crianças, bebês e idosos envoltos em um tecido branco, ficam expostos à crueldade de um mundo que faz vista grossa a um genocídio difundido. Nesta obra, as paredes vermelhas representam emoções, enquanto os muros e ruas de Gazza estão inundados com verdadeiro sangue civil. Os móveis aconchegantes são o sinal da segurança necessária para começar a se sentir em casa, enquanto casas, vidas e histórias vão se transformando em gigantescos montes de entulho e poeira com milhares de cadáveres sem vida sob os escombros. Não há luz e eletricidade na Palestina. Sem água nem comida. Nenhum abrigo de lugar seguro. Apenas morte e fé. Eles estão cercados por um inimigo ganancioso e violento. E sentar-se na terra e no petróleo que o mundo liberal tanto gosta. A humanidade falhou com a Palestina, então eles se tornaram super-humanos sem membros e com uma humildade poderosa. Eles morrem de fome e sorriem. Eles são atacados e continuam a cavar os escombros pelo resto da vida. Eu também confiaria em Deus se fosse eles. Porque os humanos não são confiáveis neste momento. A mala da pintura contém apenas coisas materiais de valor emocional. Quando tudo o resto é destruído, as suas mãos e pés estão amarrados, os palestinos guardam os seus tesouros dentro dos seus olhos vendados e corações livres. Quando os poderosos, a mídia e a humanidade nos falham, só Deus e a Arte podem nos salvar.
#cessarfogoagora #palestinalivre🇸🇩
Feliz Natal a todos os meus amigos e seguidores que irão celebrá-lo.
Este ano não estou comemorando o Natal, porque a Palestina, o lugar onde Cristo nasceu, está sob cerco, invasão, ataque, genocídio. Não sou religioso, mas fui criado como católico e adoro o Natal pelas suas tradições, pelas memórias de infância de união, presentes, comida, amor. Nada disto é possível quando o mundo permite o massacre do povo palestino no local de nascimento de Jesus. Não contribuirei para um evento de consumismo, quando o princípio do amor e da humanidade não for respeitado.
Desejo a todos um 2024 de paz, mais consciente e humano.
Que o amor e a esperança nos guie para dias melhores.
The 7th work of this series is about the difficulty to go from one place to the other, even after you already relocated. How the paths may seem easy, but nothing is really easy when you feel vulnerable and weakened. The doors are in the same room, but the simple way from one to the other can make you feel afraid and represent dangers that your mind knows way too well to ignore. Mental health play a key role in it. The decision to start a new life is filled with fears and insecurities. And it takes a lot of courage not only to dare to leave but to arrive and deliberately choose the best possible path for yourself. Bringing in the good memories and allowing new friends into your life may help to keep the ghosts of the past at a safe distance. It is not easy to decide and choose to be happy, leaving behind all the rubble, wounds and bruises, but it is necessary, despite the impossibilities. And it’s worth it, despite the herculean efforts. I am grateful to the friends who helped me build new memories, easing my fears and creating safer shelters, with wider and more beautiful windows and views.
Luciana Mariano (Series: Finding home)
Original artworks available at MakslaXO Galley, in Riga, Latvia.
The 6th painting of this series is called “The corridors of bureaucracy”. This work is about the bureaucracy of things when you are already facing processes of change. Besides the material and emotional aspects of moving and adapting, immigration processes pile up a complicated barrier of rules, laws and papers, written in uncomprehensible and inaccessible words that require precision, knowledge, tranquility and patience, often not available in troublesome times. Demands energy and builds up the tension, amplifying the difficulties, doubts and unsecurities. The bureaucratic aspects of immigration are usually not the most difficult but is certainly one of the most stressful. It treats you as a standardised object to be in accordance with the demanded rules. It reduces humans to check lists of compliances. Bureaucratic environments are intimidating, sterile, not welcoming. Long corridors with unfamiliar faces, endless demands and unpredictable resolutions. You must walk it through if you want to overcome it. But at the end, there are no certainties nor guarantees for actually making it. You can´t really avoid it, it is a test for resilience. Uncomfortable and unavoidable growing pains, found on every little corner of the long winding road we call life.
Utopia: a planet without borders, so people could follow their bliss and find their place in the world instead of struggling for acceptance.
Luciana Mariano
P.S.: All the works from this series can be seen and acquired at Gallery MākslaXO in Riga, Latvia.
The 5th work of the immigration series is called “Finding balance”. Major life changes provoque unbalance. Immigrating requires a change of mind-set, search and understanding of the new reality. The new structure may seem confusing and the ways to function in society may need adjustments. Language, culture, clima, everything will challenge your adaptability. The door is half open and you never know what it may hold behind it. The scene is simple; door, table, different chairs where perhaps one can sit for a while and find some guidance or figure out the silence. On the walls 2 paintings: the waters look straight while the firm ground looks unbalanced. Small details and overwhelming feelings. All stages of a major change or immigration is a vast and uncomfortable ecossistem of feelings. Can you relate?
The fourth painting of this series about immigration is called “Ghost paintings”. It is about emptiness, void, lack, broken objects, residual presence and absences. For me one of the most expressive images of this series. Leaving a place behind is also dealing with ghosts, memories and longing. Emptying walls, drawers and rooms can be as difficult as dealing with death. It is looking the end of something right in the eyes and experiencing the parting of an era. It is loosing and choosing. It is giving away the physical contact with memories that are still very much alive. Dealing with the absence of presence and facing cruel voids. Nothing about big changes feels easy nor painless. But there is also peace in it. There is quietness that speaks loudly and space for dialog; place and opportunity for a brief negotiation and a call for some understanding. Facing our empty walls is like taking off our clothes before diving into the open ocean.
14.10.2023 – palestinians are being massacred in the concentration camp called Gaza. The absence of humanity all over the walls of the world makes a loud silence of horror into our souls. Humanity failed, we are a planet of ghosts and refugees.
The third painting of this series is called “Defying gravity”. It is about the feeling of loosing ground, loosing control and watching all your belongings, the possessions that once had a defined place in your surroundings becoming misplaced, out of order and out of reach. Your comfort zone is no longer there, you can’t rely on the way things used to be. Defying gravity messes up with your send of stability and safety. You are in a new place but you don’t belong, you dont understand how things work there yet. Being foreigner is an overwhelming sensation, specially in the beginning. You need to find connection and meaning to be able to function again. You must relearn the basics and find your own meaning and balance. You must regain your senses. Once you find your feet standing again on firm new ground you know nothing will be quite the same as they used to be.
This series can be viewed and purchased at MakslaXO Gallery in Riga, Latvia.
The second piece of this series is about emotions. It is a flood of feelings that seems like drowning, both in thoughts and in material things. What is lost, how will I survive this, what goes and what stays, are some of the questions that invade heart and occupy mind of someone that is about to move, change, relocate, flee, immigrate. The sensation of oddity, the heaviness and lightness of the things that you know so well but are not, or no longer are, a part of you; things and that you want, that you feel you can´t live without, but you can´t carry. The water is the element that composes most of our human body, water is a part of us, brings us to life, we depend on it and it also can kill us. Under the waters of emotion is that overwhelming feeling of confusion, when what is you and what looks like a part of you are separating. It can be an opportunity of catching new breath but it can also mark a transition that feels like birth or like the death of somethings. If you are under water you need to escape in a hurry to survive, If water is slowly flooding your known space you need to evacuate and leave most things behind, if water is your playground you can plunge into it and then later enjoy the memories it granted you. There are uncountable possibilities of how and what the waters can mean for each story of immigration. Between the lines we all experience some common emotions and milestones on this ocean of possibilities. We are islands surrounded by sea. And each tempest writes a different story on this brief adventure of life.
Under the waters of emotion 60×90 cm – 2023 – Acrylics on canvas Available for viewing and sales at MakslaXO Gallery, Riga, Latvia.
The rupture. It can be a war, a divorce, a deception or any reason to relocate. A new job, a new love, a new life. They loved music and they had a story prior the rupture but it no longer works, no longer serves its purpose; it is time leave the wreckage behind and embark on a journey of reconstruction. Heart and objects may be broken. It is never easy to leave what once was your safe ground but it is necessary to take chances towards a new beginning, towards any possibility of being whole again.
*This work and collection are available for acquisition at Maksla XO Gallery, in Riga, Latvia.
1This collection consists in 12 pieces, made during a 2 months residency at Serlachius Museum Residency in February-March 2023. All pieces are connected and they are a result of a research and deeper thought about what it means to leave, depart, immigrate, flee, relocate, move, change, restart. If you are leaving your known home and world behind, for any reason, you may experience some of this feelings. Maybe you are relocating for a new job or for love; perhaps you are moving because of a new opportunity, a loss of job, a divorce; or if your country is at war, if you need to escape for better life conditions, or any reason at all…some of this feelings meet everyone. Leaving, for any given reason, deploys a chain of feelings that are common for most situations. It is a kind of mourning, first the overwhelmed feeling of loss, then the various steps that makes you cope with the change, then acceptance and understanding, then adaptation and peace. Not necessarily all those feelings but surely some of them. And it is a very particular experience with common perceptions and feelings. I hope you can identify some of them, but specially I hope you can, after a harsh storm, find yourself again and feel that you found home.
luciana mariano 