Finnish artist Laura Lappi is heading her first solo exhibition in the MENA region. Curated by Mara Firetti, the show titled Metamorphosis presents the artist’s eerily beautiful wall sculptures made of charred wood. On view at Firetti Contemporary (Dubai), it will be open to the public until 26 April 2024.
Taking cues from basilicas, cathedrals, and Mediaeval Scandinavian architecture, Lappi produces works which capture the essence of various architectural forms, evoking the architectural qualities (floor plans, details, and structures) of the world’s famous historical buildings. She layers wood, her primary medium of choice, to create geometric patterns that organically unite the art pieces. The intersection of these shapes (irregular pentagons, triangles, trapezoids, and circles) creates a mesmerising visual rhythm.
The distinctive black texture of Lappi’s sculptures is the result of a charring technique involving fire that is inspired by yakisugi (a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation). This rich texture reflects and absorbs light in different ways, which moulds and reshapes viewers’ perception of the wooden forms. Fire represents the dual nature of destruction and purification, while wood serves as a symbol of the essence of nature, growth, and resilience. This union beckons the viewers to contemplate constant transformation, rebirth, and the cyclical nature of existence.
About the artist
Laura Lappi (b. 1979, Finland) resides in Queens (New York City, USA). She obtained her BFA from AKI, Academy of Fine Arts and Design (Enschede, The Netherlands) in 2006. In 2008, she was a Teacher of Art at the Willem de Kooning Academy (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), which was followed by SVA’s summer residency Sculpture, Installation and New Media Art in 2013.
In her practice, which deploys sculptures, site-specific installations, and photo- and videography, Lappi observes and examines how architecture and spatial environments influence our perceptions and affect reality. She particularly focuses on the experience and emotional charge of various places and the boundaries between reality and fiction.
Lappi’s work on another art piece usually starts with exploring a real existing place by researching its history and geography. The resulting creation is based on this location. Wall sculptures inspired by architectural structures have been the artist’s main focus since 2018. Most of the wood she uses to create them is recycled scrap wood of different kinds (oak, walnut, maple, pine, etc.).
Lappi has displayed her creations in a plethora of solo and group shows: Palace Basilica (Gallery Sculptor, Helsinki, Finland, 2023); 7×7 (Hope), The Art in the Parks: Flushing Meadows Park (Queens, NY, 2020); Bon Voyage! (Galerie de Aanschouw, Rotterdam, 2011); Bronx Calling: The Fifth AIM Biennial (The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY, 2021); I Was Meant To Love You (SÍM Gallery, Reykjavik, Iceland, 2017); Supermarket Art Fair, Presented by Tupajumi Foundation (Stockholm, Sweden, 2016); Twente Biennale 2013, curated by Kees de Groot (Enschede, 2013); and many others.
The list of residencies Lappi has undertaken includes Marble House Projects (USA, 2021), Yaddo (Saratoga Springs, NY, 2018), SÍM Residency (Reykjavik, 2017), and Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, USA, 2014). The artist has received numerous grants, for example, from Taike Arts Promotion Centre Finland (2023), City Artist Corps Grants NYFA (NY, 2021), the Art in the Parks: Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park (NY, 2020), and Frame Contemporary Art Finland Finland (2018), to name a few.
To learn more about Metamorphosis, please visit the show’s official web page.
Additionally, you might also be interested in attending Immortal Mirror by Aref Montazeri.
