Simultaneousness by Finnish Collective Hibernate

Artist list

Helena Lehtinen, Eija Mustonen, Jenni Sokura, Tarja Tuupanen

Although the exhibition presents certain recurring themes, these new bodies of work remain independent from one another and form a whole through the balance that unites them. Simultaneousness is about each artist's parallel trajectory, up to the point of encounter embodied by the exhibition itself.

Opening reception by reservation only:                 
Thursday, 29 April 2021, 4 – 8 pm.
 

Helena Lehtinen has been a member of the collective since its inception. Originally from Lahti, she studied jewellery in her home town from 1973 to 1977, and later went on to study design at Lathi Polytechnic, where she graduated in 2000. She taught at Konstfack in Stockholm from 2004 to 2006, and has led various courses and workshops in Finland. She was awarded the prestigious Herbert Hoffman Prize in 2013. Her work explores the world of kitsch while maintaining a minimalist aspect. Fascinated by everyday objects and motifs, she uses various materials and found objects and blurs their individual character into abstract works. She transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, while sparingly revealing hints of the narrative she is building from.
 
Eija Mustonen, also a founding member of the collective, first studied lapidary art and silversmithing in Lappeenranta and Lahti, respectively, before completing a Master of Arts degree at the Helsinki University of Industrial Arts, in 2005. Since 2010, she has been leading the fine arts programme at the Saimaa University of Applied Sciences. In addition to creating and teaching, she has participated in the organisation of several international contemporary jewellery events, including Alchemy and KORU. Her work from the past several years has been focused on metal as a main material, which she uses to create protective objects for the human body. Without actually being utilitarian, each object evokes its function and encompasses the wearer's body like an armour. This time, she trades hammering for metal folding techniques, and presents a series of ornaments inspired by clothing, accessories and body adornment.
 
Tarja Tuupanen first learned jewellery and lapidary techniques at the South Karelian Vocational College and, later on, after refining her skills through both her own work and some additional training, she completed her Master's degree at Konstfack in Stockholm, in 2013. Using stone as her material of choice, she questions the concept of ornament and its relative absence from Nordic design principles of minimalism. Her work evokes the history of ornament and transposes it into the realm of contemporary jewellery, exploring both the highest level of refinement and the abundance that comes with kitsch. Using black marble, a sober material that offers infinite formal possibilities, she approaches the decorative with subtlety and grace.
 
Jenni Sokura, the most recent addition to the collective, did both her undergraduate and graduate studies in Art at the Saimaa University of Applied Sciences, and completed her Master's degree in 2018. From 2013 to 2019, she was involved as president of the Finnish Art Jewellery Association. Through her multidisciplinary practice, she explores contemporary jewellery as well as the wider field of visual arts. Although she usually works with a variety of materials, her focus has shifted to woodwork for this collection. She explores themes related to food, more specifically the notion of fast food. Composed of successive layers, her works are structured like sandwiches that can be visually decomposed. The way she handles materials evokes her interest in popular traditions and folklore.
 
Hibernate was founded in 1999, and its members have varied over time until the group reached its current composition. What unites the members of the collective is a common passion for contemporary jewellery and a desire to exchange and build relationships through creation. Although all current members are at different points in their careers, each artist has participated in a wide number of group and solo exhibitions in Finland and internationally, and their respective work is included in several publications as well as private and public collections. As a collective, Hibernate has held twenty exhibitions since its inception, including five in Finland and fifteen abroad.
 
The gallery thanks the Ambassy of Finland and the Honorary Consulate of Finland for Montreal for their support.