2023

ARTEFAKTI

TEEMU SIIKA

Discovering the Roots of Humanity and the Ontology
of the Phenomena in our Reality by the Ways of Art

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In the field of art and design, I identify most as a sculptor. Art is the most natural tool for me to explore and comment on humanity and society. Introspection and the lingering consideration of human emotional cause-and-effect relationships and their social effects are built into me.

The figures in my sculptures come from children's popular and toy culture. The physical and meaningful connection of my works is created through an intuitive process. I add layers and meanings to the works by familiarising myself with the publications that cover the topic I am dealing with.

My works are built slowly due to the natural method for me – handbuilding ceramics. The method is also important to me because of its tactility and haptics. I am in direct contact with the material through my hands. The articles I read shape the meaning of the work at hand in my mind, even though I reach the optimal state of consciousness, i.e. the state of flow, almost immediately when I start making something concrete. These meanings are eventually layered into my sculptures, and I am able to communicate them both through the works and verbally.

I have been working on the same subject area since 2018. I love the long-term and unhurried focus on the topics I cover. For me, it is important that the work does not have to be done in a hurry, but that I can calmly digest it, for example, with long three-hour walks, while working in a state of flow with my work, or with insights made by my brain during sleep. The thought is not born by force, but the brain as an organ gives it when it gets enough free time to process things.

C’mon, Follow Me Across the Rainbow and I’ll Show You the Way  to the Dream Valley

→ A sculpture installation that takes a stand on populism through satire.

Populism – the age-old plague – now needs more criticism than perhaps ever before. Democracies from Europe to South America are affected by this vicious epidemic. Its direct consequences include Covid denial among the Brazilian leadership, the Capitol attack in the United States and the problems with the rule of law principle in Romania, Poland and Hungary, and Brexit is also related to this phenomenon. Not to mention Putin’s war in Ukraine.

As an overall effect of the work, I am looking for it to bring about a positive attachment and even transition to in-groups that intentionally separate themselves from populism in terms of group-identity and self-identity. I hope that this attachment will take place through work in a positive sense, without contempt and aggression towards out-groups (populists and their supporters), which have proven in studies to just fuel the populist voices by deepening the polarisation of our societies and further normalising hate-speech. However, at this point, I understand that I am outsourcing the responsibility for the feelings evoked by the work and the subsequent actions to the viewer. The satirical approach is also one of the work's essential means of effectiveness. Humour is known to make things easier to absorb.

Handbuilt stoneware, engobes, glaze, lustre, horsehair, silk

Acknowledgments: Tomi Pelkonen

Photography by
Teemu Siika

2022

Masters of the Universe

→ A study of social inequality and especially the attitudes that fuel it and the culture behind these attitudes.

Is it the case that increasing wealth, which accumulates in relation to an ever-increasing number of people, inevitably makes the better-off in society feel that their position is self-righteous? And that this position depends solely on one's ability and diligence? Is the selfishness of people in relation to nature connected to the wealth and our meritocratic culture of economic growth that has continued in recent years?

Our current culture seems to be raising some of us into turbocharged broilers who focus on increasing their own financial status at any cost. In this case, empathy towards those in a weaker position might lead to actions that do not contribute to this widening of the economic gap between oneself and others. It also seems that in order to maintain this self-righteous position, they are prepared to act in at least morally questionable ways. On the other hand, it seems that as socioeconomic status increases, personal ethical norms may be shaped to justify greed, antipathy, and breaking common rules.

Luckily, the cultural attachment to our lifestyle, values and ideals and identity means that we could eventually choose otherwise. Our social system, which is focused on consumption and based on growth and gaining economic power, is starting to come to an end. Humanity must find a common development path as a more efficient way to organise the activities of our societies. As with all major changes in history, which contemporaries have not been able to observe around them, the beginning of this development has hopefully already actually happened.

Handbuilt stoneware, engobes, gold

Acknowledgements:
Tomi Pelkonen and Kari Kääriäinen

Photography by
Alejandra Alarcón

2023

The Aesthetics of Chance

→ Ceramic works in which gravity acts as an omen of chance.
Phenomena shaped, born and occurring in nature – geological formations, landscapes, living creatures, moving snow, the movement of waves, the dance of flames and the pulsating glow of embers, even installations formed by fallen leaves – are generally considered aesthetically beautiful and mentally calming. What these have in common is the pure chance behind their creation process. Is it possible to achieve the same aesthetics and calming effect in art, whose shapes and composition are largely due to chance?

As the process brewed in my mind, I realised that the work at hand had a contact surface with the aesthetics of chance. The execution method of the works has been predetermined, but chance had the last word in their appearance. Gravity acts as an omen of chance in ceramic works. The variations in the final form of the work are created by chance assisted by gravity.

For me, the aesthetics of chance is another subject of artistic research. I also focus on the study of humanity and society by adding layers and meanings to work that derive their physical inspiration from children's popular and toy culture, by familiarising myself with the publications of social psychology and other humanities that address the topic I am dealing with at any given time. The aesthetics of chance is a counterweight to this sometimes-burdensome research that goes deep into humanity.

Handbuilt porcelain, engobes, glaze, gold, platinum

Photography by
Alejandra Alarcón

2021

ARTEFAKTI