In her paper art, Annika Toijanen explores her Finnish heritage - a heritage from a country she has never lived in, with a language she only partially masters but where her entire family history is found. By working repetitively, she seeks to find a larger whole by putting together many small parts - you could say that she builds her family history piece by piece.
Soilu is a lake in northern Finland where Annikas grandmother grew up. The name means Northern Lights / Polar lights and also describes the movement of water on a lake surface.
About the artist
Annika Toijanen was born in 1972, based in Stockholm, holds a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design and currently ongoing a MFA at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design.
Prior to her studies in art and design, Annika worked for 25 years in HR, project management and finance, where the written sheet often constituted the very goal of the work. Today, she lets the empty sheet speak by building volume and strength, from a thin and seemingly fragile material in her organic forms. Light and shadow create movement and life in the sculptures, all of which are experienced differently depending on where they are located and from what angle you look at them.
