Interview between Eetu Sihvonen and Amy Boone-McCreesh
December, 2024
Eeutu Sihvonen currently lives and works in Helsinki, Finland and is showing with Gaa gallery at NADA art fair, Miami
A: WHERE IS YOUR STUDIO AND WHAT PROJECTS OR RESEARCH ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?
E: I live and work in Helsinki, Finland, and I’m currently in the middle of moving to a larger studio that’s still under renovation—a project in itself. Alongside this, I have a few works simmering in the background, all closely tied to the pieces I’m presenting at NADA this year. These projects continue to explore the same threads of labor, craft, and narrative, but in ways that feel like natural expansions of what’s already been set in motion.
A: CAN YOU TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE PIECES YOU HAVE ON VIEW DURING MIAMI ART WEEK?
E: The pieces I’m presenting at NADA Miami are crafted from hand-carved pine or oak wood combined with dyed 3D-printed resin. I’m honoured that our presentation with Gaa Gallery was selected for NADA Miami’s Curated Spotlight, a special section featuring eight solo exhibitions organised by Jasmin Wahi. Some of these works were initially showcased in my solo exhibition, Lacrimal Lake House, at Gaa Gallery in Cologne earlier this year. That exhibition delved into themes of melancholy and regeneration, exploring emotional landscapes through recurring motifs like the egg and charred ornamental objects. The new pieces continue this exploration, further investigating the interplay between traditional craftsmanship and modern technology.
A: YOU EMPLOY A LOT OF TRADITIONAL AS WELL AS TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN PROCESSES LIKE WOODWORKING ALONGSIDE 3D PRINTING AND VIDEO, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THESE WAYS OF WORKING?
E: My practice bridges traditional woodworking with contemporary technologies like 3D printing and video, focusing on labour as both a physical act and a broader conceptual exploration. These methods allow me to examine the tension between hand-carving’s tactile, time-intensive nature and digital fabrication’s precision. Each reveals different aspects of labour, highlighting how craft evolves in an era defined by mechanisation and technological advancement.
Combining these approaches is not about resolving the tension but amplifying it. The human hand is present in both the traditional and the digital, but their processes shift our perception of labour and its value.
A: THERE SEEMS TO BE A NOD TO FINNISH CULTURE AND HANDICRAFT TECHNIQUES, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE THINKING OF WHEN MAKING YOUR WORK? ESPECIALLY WHEN SHOWING GLOBALLY AS YOU OFTEN DO?
E: Growing up immersed in a culture that values the handmade has shaped how I approach materials and the act of making. This interplay between inherited traditions and contemporary processes creates work that is grounded in personal history but open to broader conversations. When showing globally, I’m not aiming to represent something explicitly “Finnish,” but these roots naturally shape how I approach themes like labor, craft, and storytelling.
A: ANYTHING ELSE COMING UP THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE? OR ANY READING, ART, FILM RECOMMENDATIONS?
E: There is a duo show with Katia Lifshin opening on the 7th of February at Andrea Festa in Rome, and a solo show opening on the 25th of April at La Bibi in Palma de Mallorca. Recently, I revisited Mamoru Oshii’s Angel’s Egg (1985), a film that continues to captivate me with its hauntingly rich visuals and sparse dialogue. Its ability to communicate so much through atmosphere and imagery resonates deeply with my own approach.
