Jussi Nykänen: Spines II
From 21 August to 13 September, Art Centre Itä will be exhibiting Spines II by visual artist Jussi Nykänen. The exhibition is part of a two-part exhibition series, the first part of which was on display at Galleria Ars Libera in Kuopio in 2024. The work consists of a series of sculptures and ink drawings made from found and recycled materials. The opening of the exhibition will be held on Wednesday 20 August from 5-7pm, welcome!
In 2022, during my canoeing trip, I found a beautifully dried fish bone on the shore of Kaito Island in Lake Saimaa, which I picked up. Later, in my studio, I decided to make a replica of the same bone in a much larger size. The accidental discovery eventually spawned an entire sculpture series, Spines. The series of works celebrates the cycle of nature; It reveals the most crippling phase of the life cycle, the state of decomposition, beauty and aesthetics. The works also remind us of the connection between us and other species. When the flesh is stripped from the bones, we are startlingly similar to many other living things.
The spine is also a grateful subject for free association; it is like a branching tree that supports the body, or the world pillar of Kalevala poetry, the thrush, which also holds the universe together. For me, the reason for choosing the subject was my youngest brother’s difficult scoliosis surgery in 2010. My spine-themed works can be viewed, among other things, as attributes of my brother and his recovery.
Jussi Nykänen (b.1985) is a visual artist born in Pieksämäki, who lives and works in Lappeenranta. He graduated as a visual artist from Saimaa University of Applied Sciences in 2010, and as a Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki in 2021. Nykänen favors the methods of drawing, printmaking, and sculpture in his work. The characteristics of his art are the use of found materials and the combination of traditional knowledge with ecological themes.
The exhibition has been supported by the South Karelian Regional Fund.
Valtakatu 66, 53100 LappeenrantaFree entrance