Artist puts Japanese stamp on Finnish forest scenes

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This autumn at Children’s Art Centre Pessi in Vantaa, children and young people will have a unique opportunity to become acquainted with the work of internationally recognised artist Hiroko Imada, based at Make Space Studios in London. Hiroko has often visited Finland and Vantaa, and Finnish nature has inspired her work dearly.

In this exhibition Hiroko Imada uses a Japanese/Western perspective to explore the many different faces of Finnish nature. She employs several different techniques and means of presentation, including the Japanese method of ‘lithography on plywood.’

Although the artworks are two dimensional, Hiroko hopes that viewers will sense the wind, light, shadows, smells, and sounds of nature. The aim of the show is to create the feeling that the spectator is wandering in Finnish woods. At the Private View, her work will be accompanied by young British Composer, Nicholas Sabisky, whose music has been commissioned especially for the exhibition and workshops.

The exhibition is produced by Vantaa Cultural Services. A complementary program to the exhibition includes a large number of workshops for school children and families, such as Japanese paper collage on the Family Day, and pop-up theatre workshops for school groups as well as for the Private View. The theatre workshops will be led by Hiroko Imada, Finnish dancer Suvi Pohjonen, and musician Nicholas Sabisky, and will combine theatre, dance, music and Hiroko’s art in an unusual and unique way.

http://yle.fi/uutiset/artist_puts_japanese_stamp_on_finnish_forest_scenes/8327019

Make Space Asks…

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Make Space artist Amy Bridges answers our probing questions…

Who are you and explain what you do in 100 words? Je suis artiste… I make illustrations that involve a lot of glitter and shiny paint because I want to create pieces that make you want to eat them. At the moment I am working on the subjects of fashion, identity, women and beauty. I think the work I create is normally for a visual pleasure as I’m very affected by colour. My next project is painting.

What’s your background? I studied fashion design and then textile print. After which and in between I have been a teacher, youth worker, bike mechanic and film extra. I haven’t yet joined the circus but I feel I’m one step closer.

What role does art have in society?  It should be something that you didn’t know you were looking for that can shake up your way of thinking or give you inspiration even if it’s something you see on the street or in an art gallery, art should be everywhere to expand peoples minds. I think the arts in general can be a very powerful tool for society because it provides entertainment and ideas it captures beauty or humour or expression and when people can take something from it it’s normally a lasting impression. I believe the more people can be exposed to it the better society will be but it needs to be understood to have a greater effect. It’s a shame art is used as power, it reaches the highest and lowest points of wealth and gets messed up on the way. 

What’s your favourite piece of art? Yves Klein blue because I want to jump into it and Degas ‘Brushing Hair’ because I got lightly winded when I first saw it.

Why art? Because I can be self-employed and I enjoy Monday morning

What superpower would you have and why? To be able to turn on the sight of a butterfly because they can see higher frequency colours beyond violet. I’ve always wondered how the colours would make you feel.

What talent do you yearn for? The ability to turn art into money

What is your dream project? To produce a comedy

Favourite Quote? Minds are like parachutes, they work better when open 

Professionally, what’s your goal? To create work that is powerful. To cover everything in a layer of cinematic beauty so that even the bad stuff can be looked at in a good light or the beauty can be extracted from it.

What wouldn’t you do without? Shelter

What does Make Space mean to you? My sanity

Whats your favourite film? Where do we go from now? by Nadine Labaki

Whats your favourite book? The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

What is luxury to you? Food from Marks and Spencers, good quality socks and being an artist

People’s Armada – Crowdfunding campaign

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No one should die in the Mediterranean sea!

When we were asked to help save migrants, Make Space artists, Storynamics said “yes” straightaway.

They spent the last couple of days producing an animation to support People’s Armada, a crowdfunding campaign to buy and refit one rescue boat for the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) which is a specialist rescue organisation operating in partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Please donate, share on social media (#peoplesarmada) and support!