ART CENTER AHJO, HIILI-ROOM; REFLECTIONS OF TIME: Paths of Memory and the Power of Creative Storytelling

RIIKKA RAUTE & ANNA-MARI VIERIKKO – REFLECTIONS OF TIME: Paths of Memory and the Power of Creative Storytelling 18.6.-6.7.2025

Our joint exhibition offers an opportunity to step away from the rush and restlessness of the present day, while inviting visitors to reflect on the past and its slower moments. The past is deeply present in everyone’s life, and its echoes influence the present, laying the foundation for the future paths that continue to shape us.

Through this exhibition, we wish to highlight themes such as the power of memories and creativity, the formation of identity, and the expression of dreams and desires. By exploring these themes, our exhibition invites visitors to delve into their own experiences and emotions and encourages them to reflect on their personal life stories and their significance. Our aim is to inspire visitors to build their own narratives—experienced through beauty.

In the work of Riikka Rautes and Anna-Mari Vierikko, there is a bold and open approach to experimenting with various materials. Although the artists’ approaches differ, a strong common thread runs through their work: the ability to repurpose old materials and to encourage the viewer to engage in dialogue. In the presence of art, one can find calm and experience a deep connection with oneself and the surrounding world.

RIIKKA RAUTE
Riikka Raute has worked for many years as a craft (textile) teacher and recently graduated as a visual artist. Her artistic approach is characterized by a playful use of color and form – with a sketch-like quality. Raute has been photographing since childhood, and the camera has accompanied her for decades through daily life, travels, and inner landscapes.

In this exhibition, Raute explores, among other things, old photographs taken and created by her grandfather, Väinö Silvennoinen (1906–1986), reinterpreting them through photography and experimental mixed media techniques. Some of the works are presented as sketches, offering viewers insight into the artist’s working process. Several pieces in the exhibition were created as part of her visual arts degree. In her thesis, Raute examines her grandfather’s legacy as a village photographer as a part of her own artistic growth.

Raute’s works—photographs and image transfers—are stylistically inspired by and based on old photographs from the 1930s to the 1980s. The exhibition features photographs and image transfers of various ages on watercolor paper (and wood). The pieces are created using mixed media, and the display includes both framed works and sketches.

ANNA-MARI VIERIKKO
Anna-Mari Vierikko is a teacher and textile artist who works in the field of material-based art. Her studio becomes a home for found objects, recycled textiles, and the traces left by everyday life. With these elements, Anna-Mari engages in a dialogue, shaping them into a visual narrative guided by the nature and idea of each material. In her works, Vierikko frequently explores the experiential nature of time—how the past, present, and future intersect. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions both in Finland and abroad.

Anna-Mari Vierikko’s artwork Golden Hour (2022) is composed of a large number of handmade paper beads crafted from old books. The beads are painted in 76 different shades and strung together on thread. Golden Hour is a reinterpretation of a photograph taken on the grounds of the Mustio Manor estate. The image was transformed into a cross-stitch pattern, with each square representing one paper bead. The resulting beadwork invites the viewer into a dialogue with the landscape, nature, and their own inner self.

Art Exhibition Opening:
17.6.2025 klo: 18-20

www.riikka.raute.fi /
https://www.instagram.com/riikka.raute/

https://finnishdesigners.fi/anna-mari-vierikko
https://www.instagram.com/artsbyannamarivierikko/

Image:
Anna-Mari Vierikko, Golden Hour, 135 cm x 200 m