While studying at the Institute of Fine Arts in the early 1990s, Juha Holopainen discovered a print technique called carborundum collagraph. He was fascinated by the way the finished print has the appearance of a textured painting. Over time, he found himself being drawn away from painting and towards printmaking. Carborundum collagraph became his signature art technique.
Holopainen’s style varies somewhere between grotesque expressionism and the simplicity of pop art. The central subject in his works is often a human with a threat like climate change lurking in the background. In Girl with Beach Ball, a monstrous pin-up girl presses an inflatable globe beach ball. The world is a dark place with sinful, imperfect people in it; movies are a source of inspiration for Holopainen. One critic once wrote about his exhibition, “artist´s grim sense of humor brings an edge to these works.”
Juha Holopainen describes his approach to making art very impulsive; creativity blossoms in the chaos of his atelier. He explains: “As I grow older, I become increasingly aware of the temporality of life. Flowers in my works represent the sorrow and the pain of losses I have experienced”.
Juha Holopainen has reviewed his collection of four decades and have curated his favorites for the exhibition “Looking Back”, some being shown for the first time.
