Photographer Johannes Romppanen presents portraits from the last twenty years at Caisa’s Lempeä Katse exhibition.

His photographs highlight the photographer’s gentle gaze and curiosity toward the subject.
A Gentle Gaze offers an intriguing look into Johannes Romppanen’s photographic archives. The exhibition provides a cross-section of his 20-year career, ranging from commissioned portraits of state figures for international publications, as well as award-winning family portraits.

The exhibition showcases a diverse selection of portraits for various purposes and needs: art, journalism, communication, photography for businesses, and private individuals. What unites these images is the gentle gaze directed at the subject, curiosity, and the photographer’s desire to capture a shared moment in an image. According to Romppanen, the essence of portrait photography lies precisely in this — the encounter between two people and their interaction between them at a specific moment, in a particular time and place.

Reflections on the deepest essence of portrait photography have led the self-taught photographer to pursue art studies. Romppanen is currently working on his thesis at Aalto University, focusing on the interaction between the photographer and the subject. The exhibition also explores how the material nature of an image affects the experience of it: printmaking techniques, size, and material choices all influence how the image is experienced in a space.

For example, a photograph printed on freely hanging fabric evokes different emotions than a pigment print mounted on aluminum. Every photograph has countless ways of being seen and experienced, and it is essential to find the solutions that best support the content
of the images.

Simultaneously with A Gentle Gaze in Caisa, Romppanen is creating a piece for the Finnish Museum of Photography at Kaapelitehdas, inviting the public to participate in a weekly portrait project involving discussions and the creation of portraits. This process-orientated work is part of a group exhibition by photography students, offering the public the opportunity to collaborate with the photographer and reflect on their relationship with portraiture.