Kirsi Julku: On the Way

In my oil paintings, skeletons have become a visual language through which I explore themes of humanity and life. Skeletons have typically served as a powerful motif in depictions of various themes such as death, the finiteness of life and decay. Indeed, the skeleton is often cast in the role of death in art, leading its victim to their inevitable fate. In my art, however, skeletons are not merely a metaphor for death or the end; rather, they convey the passage of time, movement and life. In my paintings, life and death are always discussed at the same time. In my works, I explore identity and the body in relation to the surrounding world, its phenomena and changes. When you strip away everything external from a person, the things that surround them begin to stand out. As a result, the other elements of the painting are no longer just a stage on which the person acts, but they instead form a space in which the person and the environment are in constant interaction. In my paintings, the skeleton serves as a metaphor for both similarity and individuality, transcending cultural and temporal boundaries. We all have countless layers: personal experiences, learned behaviours and roles, the legacy of generations, the influence of society, and unconscious traits. Although our lives differ greatly in terms of content, circumstances and experiences, beneath all of our individuality lies the same kind of skeleton. Kirsi Julku (b. 1993) lives and works in Helsinki, using oil painting to explore the tensions between the living and the inanimate, and between the abundant and the stripped-back. Julku graduated as a visual artist from SAMK Kankaanpää School of Fine Arts in 2023 and is currently studying for a master’s degree in visual art at Uniarts Helsinki. Julku is the winner of the 2024 ‘Young South Ostrobothnian Artist of the Year’ competition coordinated by the Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia. Her works have been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions across Finland. The exhibition opening will take place at the Malmitalo gallery on Wednesday 18 November at 17.00–19.00. We look forward to seeing you there!