Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art will present a wide retrospective of notable Finnish modernist, Gösta Diehl (1899-1964). The exhibition showcases the artist’s overall production from the early works of 1920s to the masterfully made cubist experiments in the 1950s and 60s, when the artist was already acclaimed. In addition to the impressive oil paintings, watercolors and drawings are also on display. Today, he is most renowned for his colourful cubist expression, but, in its entirety, his artistic path was multifaceted and eventful. In his art, Diehl went through style experiments from late impressionism to new classicism and expressionism before the consolidation of his own cubist style in the 1950s. Through its selection of works, the exhibition shows forth the multifacetedness of Diehl’s production and his evolution as an artist. The artworks in the exhibition have been gathered from numerous public collections as well as from private collections rarely seen in public. The exhibition has national significance as it is the artist’s first retrospective. The last time when Diehl’s works have been displayded this extensively was in his memorial exhibition in 1966 at Kunsthalle Helsinki.
From the beginning of his career, Diehl oriented himself towards the international art scene. The undertone in his art consisted in the brightness of the sun of southern Europe and the rationality of the idiom of French art. In 1920s and 30s Diehl lived in Paris for a total of twelve years, during which time he absorbed French influences and also contributed significantly to the opportunities of the other Finns, to be able to work, act and be inspired on the French soil. The years he spent in Paris in his youth gave his whole career its direction. Not only did Diehl advocate the French art but also played a significant role in promoting Nordic art. He was the chairman of Finnish artist’s association between 1944-48 and was elected as the first chairman of the Finnish section of Nordic Art Association, founded in 1946.
From 1956 onwards, Diehl was a member of the Prisma artist group, which promoted international modernism in Finland. One of the Prisma group’s exhibitions was held in Vaasa in 1957 at the Ostrobothnia Museum. Now the Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art also presents the works by artists that were a part of this group, which in besides to Diehl included Yngve Bäck, Unto Pusa, Sam Vanni, Sigrid Schauman, Ragnar Ekelund and Torger Enckell.
The exhibition has been produced by Vaasa City Museums and its curator has been Sonja Koivisto, Sub. Curator. In addition, the work team has consisted of Anna Franck, Curator, Maaria Salo, Head of Exhibitions, and Nina Takala, Sub. Curator. Camilla Granbacka, M.A. in Art History, has participated in the project as a specialist. Her extensive research and biography Gösta Diehl: Cubist, Colorist & Cosmopolite will be published in Finnish and Swedish in connection with the exhibition by PARVS.
