Exh. Concept: The land of a thousand lakes

Finland was shaped by hunters and explorers who arrived from the south and west, crossing seas driven wild by autumn storms. Those who settled here had to endure long, dark winters and the relentless cold, as well as wars and the repeated pressure of threats rising from the east. Through these trials, the people of this land became strong, resilient and steadfast — a character carved over millennia.

The core of Finnish identity resembles a shoreline cliff polished smooth by wind, waves and the weight of the Ice Age: firm, composed, unbroken. The grey granite surrounding us — so familiar, so constant — endures every storm.

Water and waves form a deep part of the Finnish inner landscape. Settlement once followed the sea coasts, sheltered bays, river mouths and open stretches of lakes that served as natural routes. In those early times, when the country was covered in vast forests and tens of thousands of lakes, no man-made roads existed — only the broad silence of land and the paths traced by animals.

The immaterial painting series The land of a thousand lakes is an artistic reflection of this enduring Finnish mental landscape.