TERHI VUOTTO

Visual artist, painter

"One summer evening in 2011, in the Ryynänen guest studio in Koli, I contemplated the fascination of old photographs. Perhaps I was reading Juhani Aho's Juha in the smoke of a burn-clearing, and I was immersed in the magic of Koli. In my imagination, I saw people who had once lived or who might still be alive, and I particularly thought about the enchantment of found photographs. It is this mystery I strive to capture in my paintings, which began their journey onto my watercolour paper that very summer evening."

Terhi Vuotto describes painting the Ryynänens as a surprising process, even to herself. She does not think of any specific faces while painting; rather, the faces in the paintings seem to emerge from the depths of her unconscious memory, hidden among the thousands of human faces she has seen some time. The faces may have been stored in her memory from photographs or from faces otherwise seen throughout her life. Chance and the surprising balance of water and colour guide the formation of the faces. When a person that feels right appears on the paper, it feels like a miracle, like magic. It is as if this particular person wants to exist, to come forth, to be seen.

While reflecting on remembering and memories, the planning the exhibition We are what we remember began with the Ryynänens in mind. I first saw Terhi Vuotto's series of the watercolour portraits of the Ryynänens at Vuotto's exhibition at Galleria Katariina in 2012. The sheer number, diversity, and the individual personalities of the Ryynänen family members left a lasting impression on me. The small portraits on their paper surfaces hold an immense, mysterious world within. Vivid, but silent life stories. The Ryynänens may belong to a world of the past, but trhough the portraits, their possible stories feel alive. Even in the faintest portraits, where one might discern only the outlines of a person, it is possible to see the image of a complete human being emerging. A person with an inner world of their own.

The Ryynänen family continues to grow and gain new members. The newest Ryynänens in the exhibition have come into existence this year.