ART CENTER AHJO, SYSI -HALL: OUTI PIIROINEN

In my art, I look at being Finn with different tools and contexts, across generations and here and now. I have carried Finns' relationship with nature as the red thread of critical reflection. I have approached the topic simultaneously from different perspectives. As a match for the Finns, I have chosen the birdlife of Finland, which is rich in species, so that there are enough points of comparison. When people and birds, nature and the built environment mix and merge together, the end result can be absurd. With my visual world, I aim for a deeper understanding of the symbiosis between species and our similarity; the habitats of both have great variation and diversity, the richness of local cultures and communities, which are in danger of disappearing as a result of the harmonizing and centralizing trends of modern urban society, intensive agriculture and the unsustainable use of natural resources. My works are characterized by an abundance of perspectives and details and the theme of confrontation. My goal is to create an interesting understanding of the meaning of the balance and diversity of man's relationship with nature, asking if we are aware of our place in the biography of our planet?

Thank you to the Art Promotion Center for supporting my exhibition.

Outi Piiroinen (b. 1986) is a draftsman-graphic artist who lives and works in Kovero village, Tuupovaara. Piiroinen's main technique is slow and intense pencil drawing that requires intense concentration. For the sake of maintaining the work force and for the fear of even a little biting, along with drawing, alternative forms of expression have also emerged through brave experiments, in which the main characters are often many kinds of closures and squiggles spinning in corners. In addition to various waste materials, the artist is inspired by observing nature and people, as well as North Karelianness. Piiroinen's values, ideas and lifestyle are strongly reflected in the central themes of his art, which often take a stand on current phenomena.