Meet Johanna: 

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Johanna Kestilä (b. 1973) breaks free from traditional boundaries. She has studied weaving, construction drawing, textile design, visual arts, and visual art therapy. Johanna has explored various materials extensively, ultimately specializing in creating textile paintings that incorporate space and density. Kestilä’s experience in therapy and psychology deeply influenced her artistic practice.

She approaches the creative process with a perspective that challenges the concept of “finished” pieces. Initially, she paints the canvas to a point where one might consider it complete, only to then deconstruct the material into pieces. Afterward, she studies these reborn materials as entirely distinct from their original forms and reconstructs them into her completed work of art.

This process elegantly showcases her ability to infuse movement and rhythm from the exterior and bring it back out as an integral part of her creations. Despite the physically and mentally demanding nature of this technique, it manages to convey a sense of tenderness and vulnerability, leaving viewers in a state of calm and harmony.

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Harsh Collective Exhibitions: Love Dialogue (solo)