Marjatta Hanhijoki works with watercolours, drawing, printmaking and photography. Her works are born from a momentary observation. To paraphrase Giacometti, she says: “My favourite studio are my desk and my pencil.”
Light and colour are the key elements of her work. For Hanhijoki, everything starts with the gaze and perception: she looks at light and colour in relation to each other and the image is formed through them. The artist prefers live situations, meaning that the portraits are made from live models, and when painting still lives the light must remain the same.
Lightweight working techniques allow for a mobile lifestyle. Marjatta Hanhijoki has three studios: in the Lallukka Artist Home in Helsinki, in the Hanhijoki house in the village of Komi in Ylöjärvi, and Ateljé Fiski in Sunikari, Hailuoto. In Helsinki and Hailuoto, the artist paints and draws, while her printmaking equipment is in Komi. Portraits are also made in the homes of her models, and the artist has also drawn in hospitals and swimming pools.
The changing location has an important role: it opens the eyes to see something you wouldn’t otherwise see. When you go back to a place, it’s always new in some way. On the other hand, it is also familiar and always waiting.
