Sari Kemppinen 13.3.-
6.4. 2003
Curriculum Vitae (.pdf)
Watching a mitten created as if by magic was a familiar sight
in my childhood. From a child’s angle, all the women in my family seemed
skilled in the noble field of craft.
I therefore instinctively perceive craft as an important part of being a
woman.
Values have changed since my childhood and being in constant hurry affects
the way we spend our time. Creating craft requires some skill of the hand
and perseverance but above all unhurriedness. My own work also progresses
slowly, with monotonous work stages along the way. I have realised the need
for some of the ‘virtues’ required for craft in my own working
life. I think that in today’s world, slowly progressing work also makes
a silent statement.
The women portrayed in my work represent for me womanhood in general. Old
photographs bought at second-hand markets show women long forgotten by others;
as such, they are references to the past.
A variety of materials and the use of a range of techniques have been an
inspiring force behind my work for a long time. I tend to come across my
materials by accident, falling for some characteristic or another and storing
the sensation in the back of my mind to wait for the right piece and the
right moment. Material itself is important to me, as it makes references
to its own past and significance. I am not interested in working solely
with one technique or one material, instead I let the work in hand choose
them. The materials used for the pieces at this exhibition can be linked
with women’s everyday and festive lives: shimmering white satin, buttons
and hooks.
Second-hand buttons remind me of the different generations’ varying
attitudes towards consumption. Once upon a time, buttons were carefully
collected and worn-out clothes were made into rugs. This seldom happens
these days. Exaggeratedly, it can be said that one generation has learnt
to save, the other to consume.
Although my exhibition is in part a trip down the memory lane, it also contemplates
our own times: hurry, consumption and the sometimes extreme sorrows we encounter
in our lives.
Sari
Kemppinen
Translation: Käännös-Aazet Oy
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Family
I, 2002
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Family
II, 2002
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Your
tender hands, 2003
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Do
you still remember?, 2003
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I
send you an angel, 2002
Enlarge by clicking the image. Press images are available at the gallery. |
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