Sami Korkiakoski

Sami Korkiakoski

Abstract line painter Sami Korkiakoski (b.1978) received his MA from the University of Art and Design Helsinki (2007) and his MFA from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki (2013). Korkiakoski has had tens of solo exhibitions all around Finland (including e.g. Jyväskylä and Salo Art Museum), and several shows abroad e.g. New York, Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale (USA); Tel Aviv (Israel) and Brisbane (Australia).

The main role in Korkiakoski ’s works is played by energy and movement, with everything else positioned around them. The physicality of the process and the way he paints with his whole body can be seen in his fast-paced Instagram videos, as he goes from canvas to canvas, painting with both spray and brush simultaneously.

In Korkiakoski ’s latest works colour has emerged more strongly than before, to take its place alongside the rhythm and the line. The colours have been chosen for their feel and visual impact, creating contrasts against the canvas background, while accentuating the black gestures and markings. The black marks are like the artist’s thoughts scribbled on canvas and add their own, new dimension.

The deliberate, time-consuming painting process, applying and removing paint in turn, seeks to create the illusion of a rapid, uncomplicated artwork that combines ferocity and beauty. The quick splashes and lines trace out a precisely considered colour composition. The three-dimensional surface is made of paint that has been squeezed out, spread with a spatula, or daubed onto the canvas. The playful process of letting go generates stratified line paintings where surface and materiality occupy an important position.

Korkiakoski’s works are, for instance, in the Sara Hildén Art Museum, Finnish State, Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art and Kuopio Art Museum collections, and in numerous private collections.