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Riitta Päiväläinen, “Shelter”

Stockholm, 21.2–30.3  2019

Galleri Andersson/Sandström is proud to present their third solo exhibition with artist Riitta Päiväläinen.

Riitta Päiväläinen’s photography is full of a profound force and an almost vibrant presence. In the series Shelter we meet tent-like fabric constructions set up in the nature in isolated places. Beyond civilization, alders, thickets and dunes become fragile residencies and a place to seek shelter. The pristine nature, spared from the human activity, becomes Päiväläinen’s playground for an interaction between fabric installations, atmosphere and light. A quiet, but far from silent scenery. She suggests an imaginary narrative which evoke a feeling of past presence and enhances the idea of an unwritten and forgotten story.

”To build shelter in the woods and shrubs recreates memories from the childhood, the ability to constantly play and create. To build shelter gives me the possibility to come closer to myself as a child and the feeling of being one with nature. I can anew feel the scent of rain, mist and the feeling of moss under my feet.”

By working with similar themes and objects during a longer period of time, Päiväläinen’s imagery have developed and deepened series by series, connecting Shelter to previous series such as Serie Structura and River Notes. Päiväläinen started to work on the theme during her time at the residencies Saaren Kartano and Kökar Archipelago Artist Residency. In this series it is the first time that she combines natural and artificial lights. This to create and bring out different frame of mind and balances. The word Shelter can be associated with a room for refuge or a place to hide but also to a feeling of restriction – where one can not develop or move on. It can associate to a direct opposite, where the absence of shelter or protection creates vulnerability.

Riitta Päiväläinen was born in 1969 in Maaninka and lives and works in Helsinki, Finland. Since her graduation from the University of Art and Design in Helsinki in 2002, Riitta Päiväläinen has had numerous solo and group exhibitions around the world. She has received several recognised scholarships such as Alfred Kordelin Foundation, Kone Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Niilo Helander Foundation / FRAME Hasselblad Foundation. Her work can be found in several important collections, like Finland’s Kiasma and Sweden’s state Art Council.