Such Beauty

The ryijy tapestries in the Such Beauty exhibition represent Finnish modern tapestry art from the 1950s to the 2020s. The exhibition will feature 70 tapestries from more than 30 tapestry designers. There will be, for example, enchanting tapestries by Eva Brummer, Kirsti Ilvessalo and Uhra-Beata Simberg-Ehrström, who won numerous awards in the 1950s. Irma Kukkasjärvi became known for her sculptural tapestries, and Maija Lavonen and Ritva Puotila for their experimental use of different materials. They led the tapestry renaissance in the 1970s and 1980s. Among the artists who made been making tapestries this millennium are Katri Haahti, Leena Halme and Melissa Sammalvaara.   

Alongside the ryijy tapestries, the exhibition will feature contemporary Finnish ceramics from the unique works of Nina Karpov, Leena Mäki-Patola, Kati Tuominen-Niittylä and Irma Weckman. Tuomas Sopanen has a personal relationship with ceramics, as he has been involved in making ceramic objects. Some of the ceramists in the collection played a part in teaching Sopanen how to make ceramics. The juxtaposition of tapestries and ceramics is natural and serves as a reminder of the intertwined history of the two art forms.

Professor Emeritus Tuomas Sopanen’s tapestry collection consists of 715 tapestries from folk art of the late 1700s to modern art pieces. It is the largest private collection of tapestries in Finland. Sopanen’s collection of tapestries began gradually. He noticed the magnificent textiles sold at auctions when he was buying glasswork and ceramics. He bought his first tapestry in 1997, but his interest in collecting them really began with an exhibition of tapestries at the Heinola Art Museum in 2005. At that time, the 25 tapestries that made up the initial collection were on display. It was, however, a long time before Sopanen started talking about collecting. Acquiring design works was primarily about embellishment, about enriching his living environment with beautiful objects. 

In the photo: Leena Halme, Winter’s colours, 2013, detail of Tapestrie. Photo Tuomas Sopanen.

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