Free art school: Garden

The students of the Free art school have prepared a collaboration exhibition for the spacious Galerie Glasshouse, at Aleksanterinkatu 13, in the centre of Helsinki.

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The summer exhibition consists of garden themed artworks from its second through fourth year students.

The garden is full of surprises. Worms gliding under the leaves, a newt popping out after the rain. A badger crossing your path.

The artworks question both directly and indirectly, what the garden really is about. The interpretations are varied and plentiful, but are all relating back to one of the building blocks of the Free art school’s study program; the affect of painting and drawing on real life.

The garden is a place to feel and connect to nature, yourself, and others. It’s where we have a picnic with our friends, have a swim in the lake or a pause under the oak three at the end of the day.

IIf you want to grow something in a garden, you have to follow the laws of the sun and the land. This takes us closer to our environment and expands our feeling of being connected to nature. It takes us closer to paradise, mythical, abundant forests, where people, animals, plants and minerals live together in a perfect balance of peace.

The over a hundred paintings in the exhibition open the door to the many surprising and
unexpected interpretations of a garden. The opportunities for paintings about the garden are endless, and offer a ground for varied expressions by the students.

The Free art school was founded in 1935, and is Finland’s only school focused on the fine art of painting. The study program centres on techniques related to painting and encouraging students to develop their personal artistic characteristics. Yearly about sixty students are enrolled in the four year full time studies. The teachers are well acknowledged artists or art experts. The headmaster is Elina Merenmies.

Have you spent a whole day in the park? Seen the interactions between people, dogs and birds? Trees are all around, flowers presented in a line, as well as growing wild. Street players, ice cream booths, a girl blowing enormous soap bubbles. The garden is full of life.

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