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”In the paintings for the exhibition Temporary Emergency Exit, I have sought to challenge my visual expression by taking it deeper into places I have not yet dared to explore. The painting process is a combination of observing reality and solving problems. During this ongoing dialogue, which continually sparks my interest, I have pondered, among other things, the connection between quantum physics and depression, as well as why, when taking out the rubbish at night, it feels as though someone is watching. Why does a different crow look at me in exactly the same way every time, as if it knew something? Who walks backwards when I am not looking? Is the ray of sunlight glimpsed through the sleet God? By seeking answers through painting, I only find more questions. This is part of the poetic beauty of painting that inspires me to return to it, year after year.”
Raised in East Helsinki, Matti Närekangas has been active in the visual arts since 2017. In 2024, he graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the Painting Department of the Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki. In his work, he often combines surreal elements with an abstract visual language. Närekangas’s practice is characterised by an experimental approach in which visual narrative and personal themes intertwine, forming an independent and distinctive artistic expression.