The art of individual and collective

Kimmo Kumela's (b.1971) art work alternates between small-scale and massive. His small-scale drawings form a multi-part series sometimes combined with large drawings where the foot of the page is sometimes left unfinished. Add newspaper pages with covered photos and texts as well as other surprising elements and the work is complete.

When Kumela covers words, one by one, in books and articles, he simultaneously leaves a mark and erases it. We have reached the essential sphere of drawing/writing/painting where the visible becomes invisible and the re-emerges as a new perceptibility. Maybe for this reason, Kumela's art work has a melancholic feel, for what could be seen earlier has now disappeared under a new surface. The viewer remains with a reference to this preceding element, almost like a memory left behind. In melancholy, our previous object of love dies or disappears, making loving him/her/it impossible. In Kumela's work, the covered text is lost and all that remains for us is but a trace or a shadow of it.

Kumela often uses collage as a method of presentation. I prefer calling his method collage rather than installation, because resembling Cubism, Kumela's contrast of work is unaffected and accentuates surface variations. Another link to Cubism is Kumela's way of playing with books and magazines, in other words, with texts. He seems to be asking in a metaphysical level, what difference is between reading a written text and decoding a picture - if indeed there is one.

When making drawings on a newspaper, the artist treats the fundamental issues of painting by being in direct contact with different layers, surfaces and coverage. The faintly visible base material adds another dimension where viewers can interact with Kumela's technical choices. The plain page of a newspaper featuring soon-to-be forgotten news and information transforms into something tragic, poetic, humoristic or, simply said, into something a lot more interesting than before.

Some of Kimmo Kumela's work almost demand to be looked at, for their scribbly-like nature gives birth to a light hazy impression that easily captivates the eye. In these patched works, Kumela seems to be examining the natural ground of the line and of what calls them into being. In addition, the composed and rascally humoured work beautifully adds flavour to the artist's philosophical working method. The philosophical aspect is created with the way the artist processes the problematic of gesture, expression, technique and pictoriality. Despite the philosophical side, Kumela's art work is not staid but rather playful and slightly ironic with hints of romantic emotionality. With several different displays, Kimmo Kumela portrays interesting and differing ways of expression and narrativity, even if the overall work of art itself is formed of similar parts to a great extent. This way, individual works are the building elements of a narration, able to transform into something new from situation to situation. The fascinating puzzle put together by Kumela practically invites one to lose track of time.

Juha-Heikki Tihinen

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Solo exhibition at Galleria Huuto


Galleria Huuto - Uudenmaankatu, Helsinki, Finland
26.11. – 7.12.2008
Opening 25.11.2008 from 6 pm. to 8 pm.
Welcome!
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The art of combining

In his newest works, the artist has focused on a single theme: a forest landscape. Here, too, has the art of combining been put into use and Kumela mixes the separate parts with each other with awesome skill. His method contextualizes its parts in a new way. It is about what Cultural studies scholar Jens Brockmeier writes when he points out that private correspondence or diary entries are often mingled with autobiographical material. Initially private texts can be published and thus read by people who originally didn’t know the texts or the person who wrote them. In a process like this, private data, memories, or experiences become public. Autobiographical texts contain information on people we have met, so private memories are partially social, says Brockmeier.

(Extract from the article 'The art of combining' by PhD, art critic Juha-Heikki Tihinen)
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Friday, October 24, 2008

Piirtäen in Tampere


PIIRTÄEN
25.10.-16.11.2008

Galleria Rajatila, Hämeenpuisto 10, Tampere, Finland
open mon-fri 13-18, sat-sun 12-16

Welcome to the opening of the show! 24.10. at 6pm



Niina Braun, Eeva-Leena Eklund, Anja Helminen, Antti Hämäläinen, Beata
Joutsen, Salla Järvinen, Elina Katara, Tero Kontinen, Kimmo Kumela, Paula
Martikainen, Inka Nieminen, Kaarina Ormio, Synnöve Rabb, Maiju Salmenkivi,
Elina Strandberg, Heli Änkö
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Monday, September 15, 2008

Huuto auction


HUUTO AUCTION – group exhibition
17.9. – 28.9.2008
Opening 16.9.2008 from 6 pm. to 8 pm.
Welcome

Artists taking part in the exhibition:
Niina Lehtonen Braun, Marina Ciglar, Eeva-Leena Eklund, Kaarina Haka, Eija Hakkola, Kaisaleena Halinen, Terhi Heino, Anja Helminen, Vesa Hjort, Antti Hämäläinen, Beata Joutsen, Salla Järvinen, Elina Katara, Olli Keränen, Tero Kontinen, Kimmo Kumela, Heta Kuchka , Johanna Lecklin, Marjo Levlin, Virve Lukka, Maija Luutonen, Tiia Matikainen, Paula Martikainen, Pasi Mälkiä, Inka Nieminen, Pilvi Ojala, Kaarina Ormio, Reija Palo-oja, Sami Pennanen, Pink Twins, Mirka Raito, Miia Rinne, Jaakko Rustanius, Maiju Salmenkivi, Katariina Salmijärvi, Minna Suoniemi, Elina Strandberg, Tatu Tuominen, Tapio Tuominen, Heli Änkö, Charlotta Östlund.
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Sunday, June 1, 2008

Vibrations in Vääksy


Welcome to the opening of the exhibition Vibrations at Danielson-Kalmari Museum in Vääksy, Finland on 3rd of June starting at 18!
Artists of the exhibition are Heli Hiltunen, Outi Kirves, Inari Krohn, Mauri Kuitula, Kimmo Kumela, Jaakko Tornberg, Susanna Majuri, Pasi Mälkiä, Janne Räisänen, Maiju Salmenkivi, Joakim Sederholm, Minna Sjöholm, Tommi Toija, Kristiina Uusitalo and Niclas Warius. Exhibition is open until 17.8.2008 (tue-sun 12-18).
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Postcard of a drawing


Postcard of drawing from series "Tarinoita Metsästä" is on sale at the exhibition Vibrations.
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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Piirtäen in Lahti


Groupexhibition at Taidepanimo in Lahti, Finland 13.3.–13.4.2008

Opening wed 12.3.2008 at 6pm. Welcome!
Address: Taidepanimo, Päijänteenkatu 11, 15140 Lahti, Finland.

Open mon–fri 12–18, sat–sun 12–16. closed on mondays.
Open 20.3. 12–16, closed 21.–24.3.
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Thursday, March 6, 2008

Finnish Painters Union sales exhibition

Finnish Painters Union sales exhibition at Cable factory in Helsinki opens today 7.3. and continues until 16.3. Exhibition is open from 12 to 18, weekends from 11 to 17.
I´m presenting three inkdrawings.
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Monday, January 14, 2008

Galleria Visu, Kokkola


Welcome to the opening at Galleria Visu in Kokkola 15th of January at 18.00! Artists of the exhibition are Jussi Karhunkorva, Kimmo Kumela, Pasi Mälkiä and Tapio Tuominen. Gallery is open we-sun 12-16 and the adress is Pormestarinkatu 2, Kokkola, Finland. Exhibition will be open until 8th of February 2008
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