Saara Lakso: Paradise

Saara Lakso’s Paradise is an apocalyptic fantasy, where cotton candy coloured kitsch meets the gory aesthetic of zombie films. The morbid characters in the artwork reflect the anxieties of a generation grown during multiple economic depressions and the rising climate crisis. The generational experience of a fragmented, uncertain future unravels into dreamlike visions of the apocalypse.

Lakso’s artwork in recent years has explored the character of a zombie in popular culture and the many traditions regarding death in folklore. Paradise is essentially a love letter to horror culture. The macabre gore depicted in the artwork is a way to reflect the horrors of the painful reality. Horror is a refuge where even the most disturbing images can conceal something delicate and vulnerable.

Saara Lakso (b.1989) is a North Karelia born artist working in Helsinki. Lakso graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree from The Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki in 2015. Lakso works with painting, installation, comics and textile art. The themes in Lakso’s works revolve around Karelian folklore, queer themes and horror culture. 

Galleria A2

31.5.-19.6.2022

Tue-Fri 12.00-17.00, Sat-Sun 12.00-16.00

Free entry