Welcome to

Circles a virtual exhibition

by Mikko Lyytinen

Black Wall Gallery www.vaasantaiteilijaseura.fi

1.1.-23.1.2021

Mikko Lyytinen's painting ensemble Circles will be presented as a virtual exhibition available via website of Vaasa Artist's association at www.vaasantaiteilijaseura.fi

Circles is a series of four abstract oil paintings, that deals with themes of loss, letting go, new beginnings and new meanings. The paintings form a group of certain kind of archetypes, which together create a tacit story arc. Circles continues the lineage of my previous exhibition Cold Mirror, that was also based on heavily on color experience. Behind the works there is a strong spiritual and conceptual dimension, that begins with the process of mixing of the paints from raw pigments, signifying taking ownership of personal experience and its transformation into a shareable healing resource. The name, Circles points to the many cycles of life. The idea for it existed before the spread of coronavirus - which was named after the gas circle surrounding the Sun, but it naturally grew to become part of the meanings. Especially the first work of the series, that is based on my own mourning experience, is intended as an offering of condolences for all who suffered losses during this pandemic. The exhibition was set out to land for my 40th birthday in my birth town, but with the situation with the virus, I thought it was best to move the physical show to a later time and hold a virtual exhibition instead. The works were created especially with the black walls of the gallery in mind so the virtual gallery follows suit.

Exhibition is dedicated to memory of my father Jouko Lyytinen(1956-2019)