Machines and People
Like the excavators in her paintings, Anna-Leena Vilhunen digs deep into her memories and perceptions to create her art. Her expressive and vibrant works combine themes of parenthood, play and danger with various machines – such as asphalt milling machines, snow ploughs, lorries and baby prams – in a highly enigmatic way. By painting the unearthed material, Vilhunen not only modifies her surroundings but also surrenders to an unpredictable interaction with her audience. Layer by layer, she seeks to make room for the less obvious and, in doing so, to reach deeper into “an incandescent reality”.
Jussi A. Saarinen, a philosopher interested in artistic creativity and painters’ experiences of painting.
Visual artist and painter Anna-Leena Vilhunen lives and works in Helsinki. She graduated with BA(hons) in Fine Art from the Finnish Academy of Fine Art in 1990 and with MFA in 2002. Vilhunen has been active with many private exhibitions since 1992 and has participated in numerous group exhibitions, e.g. organized by Finnish Painters’ Union. She has works in the State Art Deposit Collection, Helsinki Art Museum and in many private collections. Vilhunen is a member of Finnish Painters’ Union and Helsinki Artist Association.
Artwork above: Anna-Leena Vilhunen, The White Asphalt Milling Machine, oil paint on canvas, 150 x 160 cm, 2021, photo: Noomi Ljungdell
#visualartist_annaleenavilhunen
Machines and People – Dialogue
Visual artist Anna-Leena Vilhunen (answers) and Jussi A. Saarinen (questions).