JARNO VESALA
'BEING THERE'

We, the viewer, are drawn in to the contained atmosphere, where a profound sense that something notable has or is about to happen lurks within the palpable weight of stillness. We remain in the role of witness, left to ponder the hints to the circumstances surrounding those who are both directly and indirectly present within the works. A truly haunting sense of mystery persists (long after leaving).

This feeling of isolation is one of the key themes approached by the artist. The characters in the works face away or inwards preoccupied and belonging to an inner world of their own. We become profoundly aware of the barriers that our bodies provide, barriers between the inner and outer worlds and profoundly aware of the barriers that exist between each other.

Joseph Clarke, 2016


Jarno Vesala would like to thank:

Frame Foundation - Visual Art Finland
Taike - Arts Promotion Centre Finland

“Jarno Vesala constructs exceptionally powerful emotions from melancholy to menacing, from bittersweet to even horrifying. Works transform the exhibition space into a stage for perplexing, surprising and emotion–evoking scenes that extend across all senses.”

Silja Lehtonen, Curator, Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova Museum


Jarno Vesala was selected as the Young Artist of the Year 2013 in Finland. He and Krister Grahn won the 7th Turku Biennial with a collaborative work titled Under Construction. The winners were selected by Icelandic curator and museum director Gunnar B. Kvaran from the Astrup Fearnly Museum in Oslo.