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In the spring of 2023, I spent a month in Budapest at the Valosag residency. The Danube flows through the city, dividing it into two very different parts. After spending about three weeks on the flat Pest side, I crossed the river to Buda and climbed Gellért Hill. The day was beautiful and the air was filled with something magical that’s hard to describe. On the hill, many of the things I had been pondering and worrying about became clear to me.
When I returned home, the first thing I had to do was make a mountain. I made it out of clay. Then I made a second, and a third. The mountain began to write and shape itself. I started thinking about the theme of the mountain. There are endless references to religion and history. People have fled to mountains, built fortresses, searched for divinity, wisdom, and enlightenment. A mountain is strength, a mountain is a great dream and challenge—sometimes unreachable. A mountain is the fear-sized lump in your chest. A mountain is life itself. The working process carried me away—on a journey toward the mountain.
In my art, I explore life from a personal and psychological, fairytale-like perspective. My works have a strong subconscious dimension. My techniques include intaglio, stone lithography, and screen printing, as well as raku-fired, glazed and painted ceramics, drawing, and painting.
My exhibition has been supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
KAISA JUSSILA (b. 1979) graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in 2006. She lives and works in Tohmajärvi, North Karelia. Jussila has held numerous exhibitions in Finland and abroad. Her work has been shown in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Estonia. In 2007, she won first prize at the 4th Nordic Graphic Triennial in Holbæk, Denmark. In her art, Jussila is inspired by strong technical mastery, the intersections of techniques, and free, powerful expression. In her process, she surrenders to the subconscious and lets intuition lead.