Noora Nio-Juss’ exhibition “Vanishing presence” at Kunsthalle Turku consists of woodcuts, three of which were made with this space in mind, as well as the 2018–2020 series “Decomposition”.
Both the new, large woodcuts and the series explore the idea of fragile presence, isolation and longing. The artist’s concern over the state of the world and humanity is also present in the pieces. This exhibition forms a continuum with her previous exhibitions (“Covered” at Tallinn Art Hall in 2019 and “Imagine Us” at Gallery Sculptor, Helsinki in 2020).
All of the pieces in the exhibition are unique woodcuts with oils. The prints have been produced by manual braying.
“Finding my own way of working and expressing myself by means of a new material took some time. Engraving wood is very physical, slow work. The rigid birch plywood creates its own limitations and challenges but is also a rewarding medium.”
Noora Nio-Juss (1976) is a visual artist from Helsinki. Nio-Juss graduated with a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of the Arts Helsinki in 2017 and with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2000, majoring in painting. She has held several solo exhibitions and participated in group exhibitions both in Finland and abroad. Her most recent exhibitions were held at Gallery Sculptor in Helsinki, Tallinn Art Hall Gallery, Riihimäki Art Museum and VS Gallery in Fiskars. Nio-Juss’s pieces are featured in the collections of the Finnish National Gallery, Helsinki Art Museum, the Paulo Foundation, the Town of Mänttä and Tampere Art Museum. For the past six years, Nio-Juss has focused on woodcuts. Her artwork often explores themes such as humanity, human isolation, anonymity, our need to connect with others and our limited time on earth. Nio-Juss was a runner-up for the Queen Sonja Print Award 2020.
The exhibition has been supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
Miia Panula