ART CENTER AHJO, SYSI-HALL; KAISA JUNTUNEN

KAISA JUNTUNEN - BIRTH OF THE BEAR 26.3.-13.4.2025

Has the bear been born, has the Honey Bear been turned?
There, the bear has been born, the Honey Bear turned,
By the moon, near the sun, on the shoulder of the Big Dipper.

The works in the exhibition convey the Joensuu-based artist’s vision of the mythical bear, along with the story based on the Bear's Birth incantation and myth. According to the myth, the sacred bear was born in the heavens on the shoulder of the Big Dipper and was lowered to earth to grow as the king of the forest. Along the way, many people and nature spirits care for the bear.

Large-scale paintings offer a magical-realist view of our native belief traditions and bear mythology. Juntunen has found a living source for her art by delving into the ancient myths and the worldview based on nature-religious beliefs. The paintings take the viewer to the timeless realm of stories. Artistic work related to the Birth of the Bear incantation has been supported by the Karelian Culture Promotion Foundation with a 12-month artist grant.

Born in 1979 in Rantasalmi, Kaisa Juntunen holds a Master's degree in Fine Arts (MA) from Aalto University and a degree in Visual Arts (BA) from the Imatra Art School. She has held solo exhibitions since 2010 and has participated in group and collective exhibitions since 2002 in Finland as well as in Estonia, Switzerland, and Japan.

The exhibition’s opening will be on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, from 18:00 to 20:00. A meet-the-artist event will take place on Sunday, April 6, from 14:00 to 16:00. During this event, Ilkka Elon will perform his Birth of the Bear music piece at 15:00.