Uuttupuu - paintings and stories from the north

Anna Pakkanen's art exhibition Uuttupuu - paintings and stories from the north is on display in the cafe of the Särestöniemi Museum from March 30 to May 31, 2024.

A large part of the works have been made at the artist's home in Pyhätunturi, but paintings have also been created in wilderness huts without electricity around Lapland. Subjects for paintings can be found from shorter and longer trips to nature; from hiking, fishing, skiing or skiing trips. There are favorite excursion destinations in his home regions in Pyhä-Luosto National Park, but a great destination of love is also Western Lapland and the nature of Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, the artist spends a lot of time in the Muonio region. Especially the old forests speak of Anna Pakkanen.

The paintings do not imitate nature or the landscape, but condense a moment and capture a vision, a strong experience or a feeling that quickly disappears. One of the reasons for making paintings is a concern for nature, can painting record something that might be lost forever? How long will old forests with their rich species still exist? Each work has a story that opens a moment in nature related to the birth of the subject. The title piece of the exhibition "Uuttupuu" was born in the spring, from a surprising encounter with the goldeneye .

National romanticism, symbolism and naivety can be seen as stylistic trends in the paintings. The artist's characteristic style has developed as a result of years of work, and received its final form in the teachings of professional artists.

The paintings are made with acrylic gouache on watercolor or bamboo paper. Acrylic gouache is a mixture of acrylic paint binder and gouache paint pigment. After drying, it is water-resistant and has a completely matte surface.

Anna Pakkanen is a master of arts by education, graphic designer and illustrator by profession. He does visual art in his spare time. She lives in Pyhätunturi and works in Metsähallitus's Nature Services, working e.g. to Finnish national parks.