Monthly image: Self-portrait – in my own world by Markus Vaattovaara
– My way of working is expressive, in between abstract and performing art. When I start a new piece of work, I use a pen to create a kind of form, from which I begin to build a whole. My motives concern mainly people and their appearances. I follow their gestures and behaviours in different situations, Markus Vaattovaara writes.
Markus Vaattovaara: Self-portrait – in my own world. Oil painting with a palette knife, wood, glas, metal. 2019
My way of working is expressive, in between abstract and performing art. When I start a new piece of work, I use a pen to create a kind of form, from which I begin to build a whole. When working with a painting or a sculpture, the motif usually comes already in the beginning. I start thinking about it, and I may ponder for a long time, before I begin working with the actual piece of work. My motives concern mainly people and their appearances. I follow their gestures and behaviours in different situations.
Time has been an issue close to my paintings and sculptures during the recent year. I’ve been thinking about time, how to deal with time, and how much you should stick to time in certain situations. Sometimes you should simply ignore it. But sometimes it goes without saying that you must stick to it. Maybe through my art, I will find a relief to my thoughts about time.
The spatial work of art, Self-portrait – in my own world, consists of two paintings and five sculptures. The paintings I have painted traditionally in oils using a palette knife. In the sculptures I have used wood and mouth blown glass.
My former occupation was a glass blower and therefore it was an easy choice to take glass along with this piece of work.
I stayed with organic materials with the sculptures. My former occupation was a glass blower and therefore it was an easy choice to take glass along with this piece of work. Glass is a tricky and interesting material, and the other material was wood, so also wood’s new challenges became familiar with a project like this. These two materials, forms turned in wood combined with mouth blown glass, embraced each other as a smoky spatial work of art. Besides the question of defining time, also the question: how to combine the sculptures and paintings in a mutual dialogue, concerned my mind while painting.
Markus Vaattovaara (born 1983) comes from Lapland but moved to Southern Finland for education. At the moment, Vaattovaara lives in Kankaanpää and will graduate as Bachelor of Culture and Arts at the end of 2019.
Contact information: mvaattovaara@hotmail.com
The piece of art by Markus Vaattovaara was on display also at Kuvataiteen Valtakunta 2019 exhibition in Pietarsaari. It is an exhibition of degree programmes of visual arts, produced by all universities of applied sciences. The exhibition concept has been carried out already five times: in Lahti, Turku, Tornio, Imatra and the latest in Rauma, in 2015. 
Read more
Read more
The seminar on adapted physical activity brought together experts and practitioners from the field at SAMK
Soveltavan liikunnan päivät (hereafter, Adapted Physical Activity Seminar), co-ordinated by the Finnish Society of Sports Sciences, was held this year at the SAMK Campus Pori. The two-day event brought together around 250 participants from across Finland.
The first alumni exhibition showcases visual artists’ career paths
The first alumni exhibition, URA I, at the SAMK Fine Arts Campus in Kankaanpää, brings together visual artists who have graduated from Kankaanpää.
SAMK alumna Menghua Liang-Haavisto named Satakunta’s New Entrepreneur of the Year
Menghua Liang-Haavisto from Pori, entrepreneur and founder of Kiinalainen Hoitola Liang, has been named the winner of the Satakunta New Entrepreneur of the Year 2026 competition. This was the fifth time the annual award was presented.