Spring is finally in full swing, and this month Mai-Art Gallery presents wonderful works from Tiinalotta Särmölä! The exhibition features Tiinalotta Särmälä's block print graphics and iron wire sculptures from the last fifteen years.
"The proximity of the surrounding nature is important for my artistic work. To counterbalance the hectic pace of the city and concrete structures, I long for the peace and quiet of nature and birdsong. Birds appear to me as a kind of mystical and mythological power animal. Birds went from nature to my dreams, from dreams to wood, from wood to paper and from paper to iron sculptures.
What fascinates me about making woodcuts is that you can't know the outcome in advance. The bends and knots in the wood have a huge influence on the creation of the work. My block prints are engraved on birch and spruce plywood and then hand- and press-printed onto paper. I have also combined woodcuts with packing material printing. I have used recycled materials such as used birch plywood, packaging boards and old lace curtains. In my iron wire sculptures I have spun, braided, twisted, crocheted and knotted iron wire. I have also used recycled materials in the stone bases of my iron sculptures. Sustainability is important".
-Särmölä
Tiinalotta Särmölä is a visual artist from the South Karelia University of Applied Sciences in Lappeenranta, graduated in 2005. She has worked as a visual artist making blockprint graphic, iron wire sculptures, paintings, logo design and UV environmental art. She has also participated in several art exhibitions. Särmölä works as an art teacher at the South Karelia Community College, where she teaches basic art to 1st-9th graders in Luumäki and adult art groups in Lappeenranta. At the children's cultural centre Metku in South Karelia, she works as an instructor of arts and crafts workshops and Loistopuisto workshops, and as a teacher at the Lappeenranta School of Fine Arts.
The exhibition is open 3. - 31.5.2022
Mon.-Fri.: 10 - 18
Saturday: 10 - 15
Our shop is closed on Ascension day Thursday 26.5.
Please remember to keep safe distance to others while visiting us, thank you!