Verna Joki: ice cream, a hundred years, and an aeroplane

Verna Joki paints with ink from perception. Her perception is direct: it requires her immediate presence with the painted subject, thus allowing the images to emerge directly. 

Joki’s works convey lightness and speed, both in the handling of color and in the use of the translucent white silk as a support for the painting.

The impression of the precious silk is akin to that of thin tissue paper, yet the fabric’s memory is shorter and more fleeting than paper’s. Unlike paper, the silk fabric can be straightened and smoothed, and wrinkles can be made to disappear. The shimmering silk also lacks the dry feel of paper, instead it allows color to seep through. 

The choice of lightly primed silk as the ground for the paintings also affects the form of the works, as mere stretcher bars are enough to hold the piece together, eliminating the need for frames or passepartout. This sense of directness extends to the structure of Joki’s works.

However, both fabric and tissue paper share a sense of transience. If the artist makes a mistake while painting, it is irreversible. Once a stroke is made, it is difficult or even impossible to correct it. 

The delicately translucent, softly draping silk proves to be unforgiving, as every single mark remains permanent. 

Forum Box

11.4.-4.5.2025

Ti-su 12.00-17.00

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