Finland

Artist: Mirka Raito

Born: 1975 in Helsinki/Finnland

1991-1994 Highschool of Fine Arts Helsinki

1995–1996 School of art and communication, Tampere

1996–2000 Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki

2000 Facultad de Bellas Artes, Madrid, Spain

Exhibitions:

Helsinki, Berlin, Alcala de Henares (Spain), Hamburg, Vienna

Interpretation

I painted the Finnish Buddy Bear together with my German friend Agnes Domke, and we thought about how different cultures and people could come together. The best way to communicate and understand is to be a good listener and simply to try to learn from one another.

Prejudices should be forgotten as quickly as possible. Every culture has good and valuable things to offer, and we need to try to learn as much from each culture as possible. We should accept change with openness and accept that our neighbours are different from ourselves, but never better or worse than us.

After these thoughts had run through my head, I decided to begin a cooperative venture with my friend into the experimental realm of "open painting". Naturally, we wanted to depict Finland. My friend Agnes Domke has established a network of friends during her numerous trips there. Nevertheless, she sees Finland from an outsider's point of view, from a German perspective. She was prepared to help me craft my bear straight away. We began at the same point, without any great plans, but we always reacted to what the other was painting. We worked diligently and with great respect for each other. It was like a voyage, and we were aware not to leave this path we had taken. We hope to be able to show the viewer as much of the beauty of Finland as possible.

Mirka Raito

Sponsor: Oy Graficon Ab Ltd., Espoo / Finnland