Jarmo Mäkilä's large-scale, autobiographical art works capture personal childhood memories and the mythology of his native country Finland. As in his two previous solo exhibitions in our gallery (Kinderkreuzzug/Children's Crusade in 2010 and Jungenspiele/Boys' Games in 2012), the exhibition concentrates on memories and feelings that we associate with childhood.
Jarmo Mäkiläs's disturbing paintings capture the transition to the end of childhood, the moment when (moral) innocence fades. The artist himself describes his subjects as "a lively discourse between past and future". The frequently recurring reference to the Grass’ Tin Drum from the year 1959 is by no means a coincidence in Mäkila's paintings and points to the non-growth of his only seemingly childish image personnel. For him, the famous German novel was an illuminating read with great influence on his painterly work. Women are completely absent from Mäkila's paintings; He puts his finger on the wounds that male fears can leave in a world full of hidden rituals in a child's soul. Although these autobiographical references stand so clearly in this oeuvre, it nevertheless appears universal. Both ‘good’ and ‘evil’, as well as the acting persons’ crushing solitude are discussed.
Jarmo Mäkilä was born in Rauma, Finland in 1952. He studied at the Finish Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki. In 2002 he was awarded the Pro Finlandia medal as one of the most important contemporary artists of Finland. His works are represented in important private and public collections worldwide.