Weavers of vision - Four perspectives on modern Finnish tapestry

Modern tapestry is diverse and fascinating. The tapestries of four famous Finnish textile artists Ariadna Donner, Aino Kajaniemi, Inka Kivalo and Soile Hovila represent different techniques, approaches and styles. They weave their gobelins using a loom utilising an ancient technique.

Tapestries or gobelins are textiles that are hung on walls, they are also called wall rugs. Nowadays, they are often made mechanically, but the artists of the exhibition weave their gobelins by hand using a technique that requires a lot of persistence. The tradition of Finnish tapestries goes back to the early 20th century and the World Fair in Paris. The earliest Finnish tapestries are from the masters of the Golden Era such as Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Hugo Simberg.

Weavers of Vision exhibition’s gobelins are all distinct from one another. Soile Hovila and Aino Kajaniemi’s pieces are representational, Inka Kivalo and Ariadna Donner’s tapestries have abstract colour schemes.
– I weave pictures with the tapestry technique where a person is in the middle of life’s complexity and stratification, as well as conflicts and contradictions, Aino Kajaniemi says.

Aino Kajaniemi and Ariadna Donner sketch their drafts with pencils, Soile Hovila takes advantage of photos as the basis for her coloured sketching and Inka Kivalo begins her work with a colourful watercolour painting.

– I think by looking and making with my hands. My use of materials is physical, I weave and manipulate the surface, darn and patch, Inka Kivalo describes her work.

– I usually start with a black and white composition. My memory creates a pictorial language, where color is light and shape is its sister, when I weave they play and talk to each other on the warp, Ariadna Donner says.

In the form of tapestries, you can also deal with social and cultural issues.
– For the last three years, I have been weaving the Ataraxia triptych, in which I examine the pursuit of inner peace in the middle of global uncertainty and stress, Soile Hovila says.

The exhibition is a continuation of the first group exhibition of Finnish tapestry artists held in the Craft Museum of Finland in 2020.