Tuula Lehtinen: Layers

Exhibit Dates: September 19 to October 18

Opening reception: Thursday, September 19, 2019, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

HANCOCK, MI €“ Finlandia University Gallery will present the exhibition Layers by Finnish artist Tuula Lehtinen at the Finlandia University Gallery, located in the Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC), Hancock from September 19 to October 18, 2019.

An opening reception for the artist will take place at the gallery Thursday, September 19, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. with an artist talk beginning at 7:20 p.m.. The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Fog, landscapes, lace, shoes, and flowers are recurring motifs in Finnish artist Tuula Lehtinen´s art, exploring themes of femininity, sensuality, indulgence, nature, and power. Using subject matter long banned from contemporary art as too frivolous and decorative, Lehtinen€™s art challenges the separation between the intellectual realm of art and culture and the domain of daily life. “As a young art student in the 1970€™s, one of the first things I learned at the Art Academy was that flowers are beautiful,€ says Lehtinen €œbut you can´t paint them€¦something I have fought against ever since.”

Lehtinen€™s work includes painting, printmaking, porcelain, mosaics, architectural installations and public sculptures. With an emphasis on craftsmanship Lehtinen€™s work takes old traditional techniques and updates them for her highly crafted work.

For the artist, who loves hand-making and decoration, mosaic has proven to be an important media for her artistic expression. Integrating art installations into architectural projects has become increasingly important in her work. In recent years, Lehtinen has made a number of impressive mosaic works, including her public commissions for the entrance of the Tampere (Finland) Rantatunneli, the Helsinki Art Museum, and the Tampere Swimming Center.

Lehtinen lives and works in Tampere, Finland. She received her education at The Finnish Art Academy (1976-1980). Lehtinen has held many solo exhibits throughout Finland and Scandinavia and has completed several architectural public commissions. She is the recipient of numerous grants; most recently she received the 5-year work grant from the Finnish State for the third time. She is represented in multiple private and public collections, including the permanent collection of Rhösska Museum of Design and Craft in Gothenburg, Sweden and the Kiasma Art Museum and the Amos Andersson Art Museum in Helsinki and Sara Hildén Art Museum in Tampere, Finland.

Layers will be on display at the Finlandia University Gallery through October 18, 2019.

The Finlandia University Gallery is located in the Finnish American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy Street, Hancock. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday 8:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m., and Saturday 12:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. or by appointment. Please call 906-487-7500 for more information.