Annual grant allows an artist to focus on his work
Espoo-based visual artist Kim Somervuori feels that the annual grant for professional artists gave him a sense of security for the past year and allowed him to focus on his work, even though an artist’s work is often fragmented by nature.
Somervuori is particularly well-known for his paintings and drawings. He also makes installations and sculptures. These works often start with a stroke of a pencil or brush.
“It really doesn’t matter which technique I make the final work with. I usually come up with ideas by drawing and painting,” Somervuori says.
All kinds of things that the artist experiences in his daily life impact the creation of his works.
“Any individual work is always influenced by who I am in general, the books I have read, the music I listen to and the artists I follow,” Somervuori says.
Although Somervuori often deals with current topics in his works, he likes to give his viewers the opportunity to interpret the works themselves, based on their own experiences.
The artist’s year included preparing for several exhibitions
Somervuori’s year 2021 started with a solo exhibition at Galleria Himmelblau in Tampere. Last year, he also participated in a group exhibition built around the works of Kimmo Kaivanto at Kerava Art Museum. Somervuori’s works were also displayed at an environmentally-themed summer exhibition in Nastola, for which he created a collection of works from paper.
This year, Somervuori will turn his attention to a solo exhibition that will be displayed at Galleria Halmetoja in Helsinki in spring 2023. Somervuori views solo exhibitions as kinds of pinnacles. His way of working is intensive and tends to run in cycles.
“I find getting started mentally challenging. The middle parts are great; there is no hurry. It really is the perfect time, and I often find myself surprised by my own works. When the exhibition approaches, my work turns stressful again,” Somervuori says.
The grant is awarded to one artist in Espoo for one year at a time. The application process for the 2023 grant will be launched in spring 2022.