Paivi Saavala (born: 1954, Ylikiiminki) became a painting teacher after graduating Arts and Crafts Institute in 1984.

Further on for 10 years she worked as a restorer and for 20 years in a theatre where she created clothes, decorated the scene, and made posters.

Since 1988 she has arranged many shows and participated in many of them.

Paivi Saavala’s works are abstract and full of philosophy. It is difficult to distinguish any special trends. "Painted drawings or painted pictures”, the view moved “From cosmos back to Earth and from Earth to cosmos”.

Paivi Saavala is a member of  the Artists Society in Helsinki and of Nälkäteatteri, “Hungry Theatre”, and the “Society of “Parliament Arcadia”.

 

Jyrki Anselmi Maki (born: 1962, Pyhanta) participated with his works in many Finnish shows starting from 1986, when his paintings were exhibited in the art museum of Oulu within the annual art show.

Maki has been a member of Oulu Artists Society since 1990.

In his latest works he uses a mixed collage technique: acrylic painting on plastic base plus collage technique with various materials. Themes are taken from everyday life’s unexpected situations. The pictures are born through instinct rather than as a result of mature reflection.

Mäki is also known in Finland as a vocalist, songwriter and musician of a Finnish “Radiopuhelimet” band formed in 1986. The band released its last 12th disc in spring of 2010.

 

Both Paivi Saavala and Jyrki Anselmi Maki were born in Northern Finland, in Oulu. The artists made friends in Helsinki in 1996 at a collective theatre project, for which Päivi prepared costumes and the scene, and Maki’s group wrote music.
Since that time Maki has been living near Haukipudas and Martinniemi. Paivi has been living in Helsinki since 1976, but several times a year visits her native heath.
A quick look at Paivi’s and Maki’s art can say that they are very far from each other. But when studying their pictures more attentively, you can find a lot of common traits. Maybe it is an influence of northern light and shade? A passionate desire to communicate one’s thoughts through pictures? Understand your rapid thoughts and render them somehow?
The light from below gives long shadows. Images move and change. The sun jumping out of the horizon explodes the scenery. Sometimes light stays there day by day to the crack of doom, sometimes darkness doesn’t disappear even in daytime, neither from thoughts, nor from the world around.
Maybe the common thing is a wish to surprise. Imagine the necessity to create a work which can surprise the author himself. What is it made by myself?
The show in Borey is the artists’ first collective exhibition. There they’ll present their solo expositions, as well as a collective show in one of the gallery halls.