In January 2018 I started a new series of work called Icons of Nature that looks into the philosophy of Pantheism as well as how primitive humans experienced and worshipped nature.
I was about 10 years old when I painted and copied my first icon. Instructed by my mother who was a professional artist, but who also studied the traditional method of painting Icons. I was fascinated by the use of raw egg tempera paints and the large golden halos that surrounded the heads of the people in these images. ‘Icon painting is the art of copying religious images’, said my mother as she showed me the books she used to copy the images from. The same books have travelled with me from Finland to England as well as from studio to studio and it is where I first looked for inspiration in my early studies at art school.
My latest work in mixed media takes many ideas from the traditions of icon painting. The golden halos have turned into large abstract shapes that play on the pictorial surface with the same rhythms as they do in traditional icons, but without the human presence. I use mainly wood boards as the base for my work as it is used in iconography, but instead of the people as religious beings I have placed nature on the pedestal.
I use photographs that have been manipulated using various software and apps in my artwork. I use an inkjet printer as a painting medium along with layers of acrylic paint, paper and film, gold imitation leafs, spray paints and varnishes. I give my art works titles in Latin as it has been the language which has been commonly used to name plants and animals.
Education
1997-1999 Middlesex University, MA in Fine Art, London
1993-1996 Byam Shaw School of Art, BA Hons. in Fine Art, London
Selected Exhibitions
2017 DisPlay, Ply Gallery, London
2017 Know One, Crouch End Open Studios, London N8
2017 Finnish Painters Union, Cable Factory, Helsinki, Finland
2017 Desktop, The Office Group, Curated by Alexandra Baraitser, London
2016 Scandinavia – A Celebration of the Northern Province, Willesden Green Library Gallery
2016 Random I, Ply Gallery, London
2016 Crouch End Open Studios, London
2016 Finnish Painters Union, Cable Factory, Helsinki, Finland
2015 Double Agent, Koleksiyon, Lontoo
2015 ArtKapsule @ Home, New York
2015 Remembrance, St Martin’s Church, London
2015 What Can I do With an Art Education, King Alfred School, London
2015 Holborn Medical Centre, London
2015 Koleksiyon, London
2014 Auction, C&C Gallery, London
2014 Highgate Contemporary Art, London
2014 Royal Academy Of Arts, Summer Show, London
2013 Koleksiyon, Camouflage, London
2013 Koleksiyon, Drawing The Line, London
2013 Auction, C&C Gallery, London
2012 Canvas and Cream, London
2012 Affordable Art Fair, Highgate Contemporary Art, London
2011 Galleri Skada, Lulea, Sweden
2011 Nordstrom Art, Stockholm, Sweden
2011 Graceland, London
2011 Affordable Art Fair, Milan, Italy
2010 Hide and Seek, Highgate Contemporary Art, London - SOLO
2010 Highgate Contemporary Art, Summer Miscellany, London
2009 Annual Art Auction, Special Yoga Centre, London
2009 Frozen, The Original Gallery, London
2009 Leytonstone Arts Trail, London
2009 Highgate Contemporary Art, Gallimaufry 2009, 'Contemporary British Artists in Highgate'.
2008 Holborn Medical Centre, London - SOLO
2007 Royal Academy Schools Gallery, London
2006 The Original Gallery, London
2005 John Jones Gallery, London
2005 Crouch End Open Studios, London
2004 The Chocolate Factory Open Studios, London
2003 Holborn Medical Centre, London - SOLO
2003 The Chocolate Factory Open Studios, London
2002 Lauderdale House, London
2002 Art at Home, London
2002 The Chocolate Factory Open studios, London
2002 X-Roads, The Art Pavilion, London
2001 Artmonsky Arts, Abstract Works, London
2001 The Affordable Art Fair, Bath
2001 Holborn Medical Centre, London
2001 Terra Firma' Artmonsky Arts, London
2001 The Chocolate Factory Open Studios, London
1999 Artmonsky Arts, Summer Show, London
1999 Middlesex University MA-Fine Art Degree Show
1999 The First Affordable Art Fair 1999, Battersea Park
1997 Red Gallery, London
1997 PMC National Open and Michael Rothenstain Trophy
1996 Byam Shaw Degree Show, London
1996 Hiision Ullakkogalleria, Finland
1996 Whitechapel Open Studios, London
1995 Frame Effects, London – SOLO
1992 Kehystamo Gallery, Finland
Publications
1992 Ilta-Sanomat, Paivyri, Seppo Iisalo, Finland
1992 Kymen Sanomat, Kuvataide, Satu Itkonen, Finland
1996 Gloria, Rita Tainola, Finland
1996 Kouvolan Sanomat, Pirjo Paloranta, Finland
1996 Nastolan-Lehti, Finland
1996 Iitinseutu, Finland
1997 Gloria Koti, Laura Iloniemi, Finland
1995 Channel 1, London News, Thomas Moore, UK
2001 Ham & High, London, UK
2004 Kymen Sanomat, Finland
2009 Frozen – Exhibition catalogue, UK
2010 Scan Magazine, Cultural Calendar, UK
2010 Finemb.org, In search of lost time, April 2010
2012 Kauppalehti, Elama on taidetta- ja jalkapalloa, Auli Valpola
2012 5 Questions, Finnish Institute, London
www.finnish-institute.org.uk/en/articles/577-5-questions-with-sirpa-pajunen-moghiss
Curator
2014 Wanted,Koleksiyon,London (Co-Curator with Juan Bolivar)
Artists: Juan Bolivar, Andy Hsu, Patric Tresset
www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/culture-news/bazaar-art/paul-patrick-tresset-wanted
2015 Double Agent, Koleksiyon, London (Co-Curator with Juan Bolivar)
Teaching
1997 – 2009 Part-time tutor/lecturer in printmaking and in fine-art, Art Foundation, Shadwell Centre, London
2001 - 2004 Printmaking courses for Life Long Learning in Tower Hamlets, London
Grants and Awards
1993 Finnish Cultural Foundation - student
1995 Finnish Cultural Foundation - student
2007 Arts Council of Finland
2009 Finnish Embassy, London
Sirpa Pajunen-Moghissi is a co-founder and director of ArtKapsule (UK).