Erik Creutziger Awarded the Aïda Alliman Grant

Erik Creutziger:

The atmosphere of my paintings is usually based on personal experience. I draw on flashes of memory – moments I’ve encountered during travels or even on everyday walks. Combining what I’ve seen and experienced with a world of fantasy fascinates me. Colour, light, and painterly layering are central to my work. I’m drawn to the longing for other realities, dreams of faraway places, and the idea of retreating from the world. I want the search for colour and form – the fumbling and even a certain sense of incompleteness – to be visible in my paintings. Often, the meaning of the work becomes clear to me only afterwards.

The title of my most recent exhibition was Hedonistien takapiha (“The Hedonists’ Backyard”). The series is based on a photograph I saw at an art museum, as well as on my own experiences. The title refers to the idea of hidden pleasures or a secret life. The works don’t depict a specific or momentary event, but rather a mood where time and reality become blurred. The series consists of paintings of people sunbathing by a pool, absorbed in their own worlds.

Artist: Erik Creutziger

• Born 1982, Helsinki
• Lives and works in Helsinki
• Academy of Fine Arts, Uniarts Helsinki, 2013
• Free Art School, 2007

The Aïda Alliman Grant is awarded annually by the Vermeeriana Foundation to an artist aged 30–50 who has graduated from the Free Art School. The grant amounts to 20,000 Swiss francs (approx. 20,000 euros) and may be used for artistic work, organizing an exhibition, or covering personal living expenses.

Previous recipients: Camilla Mihkelsoo (2022), Inkeri Halme (2021), Enoch Bergsten (2020), Pauli Tapola (2019), Verna Joki (2018), Susanna Vuorio (2017), and Aino Salmi (2016).