Marjatta Tapiola's exhibition at Culture Centrum Sofia

Marjatta Tapiola: Temptations of St. Anthony

Culture Centrum Sofia

November 19– 2023–April 1, 2024

Marjatta Tapiola often finds the starting points for her paintings in literature, for example, the ancient Minotaur myth or Anna Ahmatova's poems. However, she does not illustrate these stories, but through them, she deals with the essence of humanity and the spectrum of life, feelings, and experiences familiar to everyone.

The Temptations of St. Anthony's six paintings completed this year by Tapiola is based on an excerpt from the German-born writer W.G. Sebald's poem After Nature (1988). In it, Sebald describes in detail, among other things, scenes from the life of St. Anthony included in Matthias Grünewald's famous altarpiece (1516). Tapiola has interpreted the author's strong verses without seeing the masterpiece that was their starting point. The task has been challenging, and the results are surprising even for those familiar with Tapiola's art.

Marjatta Tapiola (b. 1951) is one of the most prominent painters of her generation in Finland. She received the Pro Finlandia medal, the Finnish Cultural Fund's prize in 2004, and the State Prize in 2006. Along with Ateneum, Tapiola is represented in most Finnish art collections. She is also a respected portrait painter.

Cultural Center Sofia

Kallvikinniementie 35A, 00980 Helsinki

www.sofia.fi

Open:
Mon–Fri 10 am–3 pm, Sat-Sun 10 am–6 pm