"The qualities, dimensions and whole lifestyle of an explorer, naturalist and hunter were in my opinion perhaps a world that was made possible by the artist's profession." (Tero Laaksonen 2002)

Under African Skies is an exhibition that has come about through long-term cooperation with the artist Tero Laaksonen (born 1953). His interest in the work and personality of Akseli Gallen-Kallela (born 1953) – and the latter’s image in general as Finland’s national artist – evolved into the concept of an exhibition of various aspects that would be critical and address fundamental issues, and focus on one of the most fascinating stages of Gallen-Kallela’s life and oeuvre – his African period of 1909-1911. Laaksonen began to approach this context, its artistic and scholarly results, in his own work. The 22 new paintings by him from 2002-2003 are gateways of complex meanings to Gallen-Kallela’s Africa. Their secrets and the nuances of Laaksonen’s work are described in a fine way in an interview with Laaksonen made by the art historian Lars Saari for this catalogue.

The exhibition of Tero Laaksonen’s works constitutes a voyage of discovery offering new and unexpected means of dealing with Gallen-Kallela’s Africa on both the visual and ideological levels. “Our Africa” has lost its earlier innocence, but it has gained new artistic depth. Journeying with Tero Laaksonen we return to the core of painterliness, the seat of the “silent knowledge”, the keys to a broader understanding of the world.

Gallen-Kallela’s Africa has become the meeting place of two artists. The core of the exhibition consists of a series of paintings by Tero Laaksonen, through which the Gallen-Kallela Museum can also present a new way of looking at Gallen-Kallela’s works, and a new way of combining artists of different periods. From Gallen-Kallela’s tangible equatorial heat that raises complementary colours we move to Laaksonen’s tones that fade and give patina to memories of time, which nonetheless contain surprising brightness and an enjoyment of colour. Time may make light fade, but not feeling.

Time separates us from each other. Different worlds, changes in natural resources and values. The memories of one have become the longing of the other. (Tero Laaksonen 2002)

On summer time the Gallen-Kallela museum is open daily 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.
September 1 – May 14: Tue-Sat 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Tickets 8/4 e, groups 6 e.