After her retirement Riitta-Liisa Haavisto concentrated
mainly on producing her artworks.
“Haavisto’s fibers of choice are silk, cotton, linen
and viscose – always mixed in one piece and sometimes
used together as a single thread for the right color
effect and texture,” describes Nell Znamierowski in
Embroidery in 2005.
“One of Finland’s most highly regarded embroidery
artists, Riitta-Liisa Haavisto will long be remembered
for her elegant abstractions stitched with an
uninhibited style,” notes Carol K Russell of
Riitta-Liisa in Fiber Art Today (U.S., 2011).
“In layers of impossibly fine threads, she suspends
her audience somewhere between recognition and
sensation. Her designs were inspired by people, of whom
she made piles of sketches or by childhood imaginings of
hobgoblins and fairies inhabiting the Finnish forests,”
continues Russell.
“Enigmatic subjects, portrayed with minimal but
convincing expression are intensified by potent elements
such as negative space and deep mysterious backgrounds.
Yet, nothing seems willed here. It is as if each form or
color reveals the next logical note in the music of her
personal sphere. Present always though is the
unmistakable equilibrium of a master conductor.”
Anna-Riitta Haavisto studied textile art and design
in London, England from 1977 to 1980 and 1981 to 1982,
first at the University of East London and later at the
Central St. Martins College of Art & Design (current
names).
Anna-Riitta’s approach to her art is experimental,
often employing non-conventional materials in her
sculptures. She draws inspiration from nature, as well
as from culture, religion, and political and
environmental subjects.
In her article for Fiberarts, “The Haavistos of
Helsinki” (U.S., 2001), Russell describes the strength
of Anna-Riitta’s sculptures: “Anna-Riitta transforms
vast, interconnected human dilemmas into taut, focused
fiber sculptures. Her approach, less descriptive than
either her mother's or her aunt's, reflects a rare inner
consonance with an unpredictable and often discordant
universe.”
Carol K. Russell closely examines Anna-Riitta’s work
in her book Fiber Art Today, “Inspired by the iconic box
of chocolates from the film Forrest Gump, her work Sweet
Times contains similar layers of possibilities and
surprises. With her experimental inclination coupled
with the aesthetic influences of the cubists and the
Bauhaus, the artist vents personal or societal realities
through the orderly visual languages she was taught as a
child.”
“With tradition as point of departure, the Haavistos
set free the threads and structures of handcrafted
textiles to assume deeper metaphors and meanings as fine
art,” notes Carol K. Russell in Fiber Art Today.
Since 1998, the Haavistos’ work has been featured in
more than 22 joint exhibitions in Finland, England,
Scotland, Norway, Germany, Spain, the United States, and
Canada, and in dozens of group exhibitions.
This exhibition celebrates the 100th Anniversary of
the Finnish Association of Designers ORNAMO.
More information about the artists is included in the
book, Fiber Art Today, by Carol K. Russell, published in
2011 by Schiffer Publishing Ltd, Atglen, Pennsylvania,
USA.
White Forests, Blue Sky is on display at the
Finlandia University Gallery through September 8, 2011.
The Finlandia University Gallery is in the Finnish
American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy Street, Hancock.
Gallery hours are Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., or by appointment. Please call 906-487-7500 for
more information.
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