Taru Happonen
The artworks are exhibited at Exhibition Laboratory (B).
For me, art is a means to understand the world. The inspiration for my works often arises from the natural sciences. I am inspired by science and the answers it provides, but in my own practice I use my imagination with no restraints.
My works investigate life from a non-human perspective. Something comes here to examine what lies under the skin. It stretches the hairy leg of an insect to its full length, senses the magnetic field, and is able to see the ultraviolet spectrum. It seems that the elements on Earth tend to become organised in a chaotically logical way, and the same patterns scale up from the microscopic world to the entire universe.
In my paintings, the traditional linen base is combined with boards assembled from sea plastic waste and electronic waste materials. I have also made paintings on plastic bags. The passage of time becomes more quickly apparent in the plastic bags, and the appearance of these works will change as they age. It is fascinating to see how the painting continues with its own process after it has been finished.
About the artist
Artist Taru Happonen was born in 1989 in Lahti.