The exhibition focuses exclusively on the art of drawing. The artists William Dennisuk, Anni Kristiina, Pinja Palviainen, Saara Reinikainen and Heidi Suikkanen each approach drawing from a slightly different perspective. What unites them is their experience of drawing as an essential form of communication and an important way of understanding both the world and themselves.
Historically, drawing has always played a central role in the development of art, but its status as an art form has varied over the centuries. At times, drawing was regarded primarily as a means of developing observational skills. Although it was highly valued within artists’ own practice, drawings were not necessarily intended for public display. Today, drawing is no longer considered a secondary art form, although some traces of that attitude remain to this day.
Most of the traditional distinctions between drawing and other art forms have now disappeared. This process was greatly accelerated in the late nineteenth century by artists such as Degas, Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec. Contemporary artists, including William Kentridge, clearly demonstrate that drawing remains a vital and significant form of artistic expression, every bit as important as any other art form.
One of the exhibition’s main aims is therefore to reinforce drawing’s place within the art world as one of the richest and most versatile forms of artistic expression.
In her artistic practice, Laura Hetemäki combines painting, drawing, linen weaving and the close observation of objects and materials. The subjects of her paintings are drawn from everyday observations and memories of places from the past. The exhibition brings together both new and earlier works.
Excerpt from the publication Tarttuminen:
“I had no idea where the cottony object lying on the street had come from. Perhaps it had fallen from somebody’s jacket, scarf or hat. At first, I walked past the soft material. However, I returned and picked up the fluff. When I held it in my hand, I felt tenderness. Brown, dead fragments of leaves were caught in the greenish wispy bundle of fibre. I took it with me to my studio and forgot about it among my belongings for a long time. Months later, it had become entangled in the fringe of a piece of linen fabric I had woven, and I discovered it once again.”
Hetemäki graduated as a visual artist from Tampere University of Applied Sciences in 2012 and received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki, in 2024. The exhibition features a recent publication based on her Master's thesis, Tarttuminen, in which she outlines her artistic practice through reflections on events, situations and activities connected to her work. She explores the many ways in which painting permeates everyday life.
In the Gallery: The Language of Drawing
In the Studio: Laura Hetemäki / Tarttuminen
Exhibition dates: 3 October – 8 November 2026
Free admission
Culture House Laikku
Keskustori 4, Tampere
Opening hours:
Tue–Fri 9:00–20:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00
