JUSSI TWOSEVENL.e.p.i.d.o.p.t.e.r.a. 26.4.2025 – 18.5.2025
L.i.m.e.n.i.t.i.s. p.o.p.u.l.i. u.r.b.i.s. / L-I-M-E-N-I-T-I-S P-O-P-U-L-I U-R-B-I-S, 2025164 x 220 cm
spray and acrylic paint on canvas / 202 x 270 x 18 cm
painted plywood, MDF board and steel
The number of butterfly species in Finland has increased by more than 150, well over five per cent, in the past decade. This is primarily explained by global warming, which has led to a lengthening of the growing season and an increase in the effective temperature sum in the thermal growing season. Some northern species have retreated further north, and their habitat is becoming increasingly limited. Butterflies are perhaps the group of organisms most sensitive to climate change and are, consequently, a useful indicator of the impacts of climate change.1
New, imaginary butterfly species are made part of our urban environment in my exhibition L.e.p.i.d.o.p.t.e.r.a. The delicate insects in the exhibition are not simply beautiful symbols of lightness and freedom, they also symbolise change and renewal. Will the imprint of the built environment on butterflies allow them to adapt to rapidly changing conditions, or will the species we know and love disappear? What kind of future awaits us; which of us will adapt and which of us will disappear?
I’ve been painting using stencils for more than 15 years. I make a stencil for each shade and paint them in layers. I now also use this technique in a three-dimensional way. Using the same approach that I would to make stencils for my paintings, I make a separate surface of material for each shade, formed by stencils, which can be set at different distances from each other in terms of depth.
I’d been thinking of presenting my paintings in a three-dimensional and sculptural form for years, and I’ve carried out various experiments based on this idea. I’m fascinated by the new dimensionality of my sculptural works as it offers fresh interpretations and perspectives. I want to give viewers the opportunity to look inside my works; their three-dimensional nature reveals features such as the true structure of the butterfly’s figure. Will this allow viewers to discover something unexpected in my works, such as signs of an environment shaped by humans? This speaks to the theme of my works: the relationship between people and nature, and people’s desire to control nature. Will the pieces of the work form a perfect butterfly, or should something be done differently to make our society sustainable?
Jussi TwoSeven
