Art Profile

Abstract painting by Jukka Suhonen. Photo: Ilona Aaltonen

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Art Profile of the Month, Finland Accessible art for everyone

Once upon a time, Pia and Patrik Edman were looking for a painting for their home. They searched near and far, but without any luck. Then one day, the couple had an idea. Why not make it easy for anyone to buy art from an online store with thousands of artworks by hundreds of artists?

By Taiko | Photos: Taiko

Today, Pia and Patrik operate Taiko, the world’s largest marketplace for Finnish contemporary art. With just a few clicks, you can order unique art straight to your home. we now want long-lasting, personal and handmade products in our homes. Original art fits this trend exceptionally well.

“We want to surround ourselves with longlived objects that create memories and radiate positive energy. An artwork, often passed on from generation to generation, does just that. And apart from bringing joy to the buyer, selling an artwork is always a big thing for the artist as well,” say Pia and Patrik.

Choosing soul and green values The green trend in consumer behaviour also affects the way we decorate our homes. In moving away from a throwaway culture, towards more sustainable values,

With a collection of some 10,000 artworks by 550 artists, Taiko has delivered more than 7,000 artworks to homes in both Finland and abroad since 2016. To ensure high quality, only artists that fulfill certain criteria may sell their art on Taiko.

Besides reaching those already familiar with art, Taiko has attracted people who haven’t previously been exposed to traditional channels such as art galleries. In fact, many have bought their first ever artworks from Taiko.

Busting the myths There are persistent beliefs that prevent us from buying and enjoying art. Pia’s and Patrik’s goal is to bust these myths. For example, art doesn’t have to be interpreted in a complicated and flashy way. If an artwork triggers positive feelings, it is the right choice for you.

“It’s as simple as that. Secondly, many think that art is always expensive and out of reach for ordinary people. This is also a myth since you can buy a print or an aquarelle for as little as 100 euros,” they explain.

Finnish art has an excellent international reputation, but never has such a range been made so accessible until Taiko. Finnish design brands, such as Marimekko and Artek, are already pop-

Pia and Patrik founded Taiko, the online store for Finnish art, in 2016. Photo: Antti Ranki Heidi Hjort: Stripes.

ular abroad. Now, Finnish contemporary art is following in these footsteps.

Find the right artwork Artworks of nature and animals have traditionally been most popular among Taiko’s buyers, but abstract art is finding its way to more and more homes. Filtering through Taiko’s thousands of paintings, prints, photo works and sculptures may seem challenging, but its versatile search filter makes it easy to find the right artwork. You can also sort art based on theme, size, price and colour. Plus, you can try out Taiko’s virtual art guide Artzie, which uses artificial intelligence to recommend artwork for you. When you have found the right artwork, add it to the shopping cart and pay online, with credit card or PayPal included in the payment options. After that, just wait for the courier to knock on your door.

“Our goal is fulfilled with each artwork that finds a home through Taiko. We feel that our work is extra meaningful in these uncertain times. Art may not win wars, but it brings beauty, comfort and soul to our home and mind,” Pia and Patrik conclude.

Vesa Aaltonen: Green Forest.

www.taiko.art Instagram: @taiko.art Facebook: taiko.art LinkedIn: Taiko - Finnish Art Online

Facts about Taiko: - The world’s largest marketplace for

Finnish art. - Launched in November 2016. - Formed by the Finnish and Swedish words for art, TAIde and KOnst. - Language options English, Finnish and Swedish. - More than 10,000 artworks (paintings, prints, fine photo art and sculptures) by 550 artists. - Filter art by theme, size, price, colour and more. - Photo feature Taiko Test lets you see how an artwork fits your home. - Artzie, the virtual art guide, uses AI to help you find the right artwork. - Worldwide delivery and versatile payment options.

Art Profile of the Month, Denmark Printer’s Proof is pushing the boundaries of a rare artform

Valby, Copenhagen: in a one-storey building designed by Danish architect Ole Vinter in 1953, printmaking experts Olga Zolin and Kell Johan Frimor are running Printer’s Proof – an etching studio, publishing house and gallery. But something unusual is happening in their workshop. Since its establishment in 2013, the studio has been quietly nurturing a bygone form of printing.

By Lena Hunter | Photos: Printer’s Proof

“When we say we work with printmaking, most people assume that it’s lithography. But it’s deep print – an intaglio method in which motifs are etched into copper plates. It’s a much older technique that originated in the 1400s,” says Olga.

Though Olga and Kell are experts in printmaking, neither are artists themselves. Olga studied art history in Italy and the Netherlands, while Kell is a collaboration is extremely important because, when artists come to our studio, our ambition is not to create something that imitates their existing production, but to facilitate the creation of a completely new body of work, while staying true to their studio practice,” explains Olga.

“It’s a very close collaboration from beginning to end,” adds Kell. “It may be my hands doing the printing, but it’s their thoughts and ideas. You could say that they’re the head and I’m the hands, until we have a finished work that hits the mark.”

qualified Master Printer. “Perhaps the only qualified intaglio printmaker in Denmark,” says Olga. At Printer’s Proof, the pair collaborate with artists of all disciplines, facilitating the production of etchings in their studio.

“I think the reason why artists – whether they are a painter or a sculptor – don’t go into printmaking is because it requires such huge know-how. So this form of “Often, something exceptional occurs” Olga and Kell actively seek out artists who have never worked with etching before.

“There’s something exciting about bringing an artist over to a new medium. Often, something exceptional occurs when finding an approach where they can work as freely as possible with this new material. Our job is to solve the technical transition,” says Kell. Etching can be complex. It’s a slow process that requires patience. “A day can pass from the moment an artist finishes working on the plate, to seeing the finished result,” explains Olga.

A recent series of 22 monoprints by the Danish artist Ruth Campau, called This Moment for You, particularly embodied this spirit of exploration. “She’s known for her big installations, made from metres-long panels painted with her signature brushstroke. But here, the brush mark is registered on the copper plate as an etching, then printed on the paper. The result brings forth her brushstroke in an entirely unique way, with a delicacy she wouldn’t have been able to achieve any other way. Yet, she worked with the same tools – a broom-like brush – and made the same sort of mark,” says Olga.

Likewise, Olga and Kell point to their collaboration with London-based artist Erin Lawlor, who is renowned for her masterful works of oil on canvas. She produced an arresting series of three ‘non-figurative’ aquatint etchings – distinctively sculptural, monochromatic compositions that capture interplay between empty space and solid forms.

A nexus of the art scene Printer’s Proof counts amongst the youngest generation of fine art publishers

Olga Zolin and Kell Johan Frimor. Erin Lawlor Untitled, 2022 Aquatint etching 88 x 63 cm.

in Copenhagen. Many of their collaborations have been with young artists fresh from the Art Academy, or still studying. “By working with young artists, we’re not only nurturing etching in a broad sense, but raising the profile of Copenhagen’s print scene. So I think it has had a hand in that shift.”

As a printing studio, publishing house and gallery, Printer’s Proof cultivates close and multi-layered relationships with its collaborators. As a result, it has become something of a hub for artists across generations and disciplines to meet and find inspiration in one another’s work and processes. “All those artists we work with – that’s because we believe in them 100 per cent. We invest our own money into these projects, so we run the risk along with the artist. In that sense we’re much more than a gallery,” explains Kell. Visit the gallery With rolling exhibitions of recent projects, special events and an open studio, the Printer’s Proof gallery is indeed a little universe of its own. “In other galleries you have the works on the walls and maybe someone who’s available for questions, but here you can see how the work is created, and then you can see the finished work,” says Olga.

“The printing process requires a lot of concentration, so most of the time it’s just the two of us. But we welcome visitors. You can come down and we’ll explain our work and open our drawers.” More than a gallery, more than a studio, Printer’s Proof is a modern incubator for a 500-year-old art medium.

www.printersproof.dk Instagram: @printersproof Facebook: printersproof

Ruth Campau, This Moment for You, 2022 Monoprint (spit bite aquatint etching).