Marjatta Tapiola’s art exhibition called In other words is a reckoning. It forced him to remember tough experiences and difficult life stages.
In the *Self-Portrait* painting (1984), the artist has a tense expression on his face: his hands and his whole being depict complete powerlessness, the fear of not surviving.
– Although I have always tried to do what I want, I have often encountered various obstacles related to my gender, says the painter.
Marjatta Tapiola has returned to nine works from her youth and painted new interpretations of them. The works are on display at the Lahti Visual Arts Museum in Malva.
The name of the exhibition became *In other words*.
– In other words, it means that I have repainted my works from the 1980s. At the age of 70, I have stepped into my own 30-year-old skin and painted the same themes again.
– It has been a real dive. I’ve been sick a couple of times and had nightmares, Tapiola says.
Going through the paintings done when I was young felt tough.
We had to remember painful things that had been forgotten and pushed to the background over the decades – such as divorce, single parenthood, insecurity, fears, alcoholism and domestic violence.
The shame of separation and the horror of childbirth
At the beginning of this article, the artist talks about his work *Three Women* (1980) in a video.
Her mother and aunt were ashamed and condemned Tapiola’s divorce. Each woman’s face reflects a strong emotional charge.
In the *Easter* painting (1980) the artist is in a bathtub and his two daughters are next to him. It describes Tapiola’s own feelings of separation and the terror he feels towards the future. The hand covers the eyes.
– I was a mother of two small children and I wondered what the hell this was going to be.
For the work *Lunas* (1980) he depicted a fleeting vision from the cupola of Helsinki’s Old Student Hall. There are bottles of wine on the table, an adult is sitting on a chair, exhausted, and a lonely child is cooing in the corner.
– The painting belongs to the time after the divorce, when I was constantly thinking about the situation of the children, my own and others.
One of the artist’s personal favorites is a painting called *Small graves* (1980). The name refers to brooding in addition to graves.
The painting shows a pregnant woman.
– Maybe it’s a picture of childbirth horror.
Tapiola painted because there were no words
In Marjatta Tapiola’s opinion, \”verbalizing\” one’s own works is difficult.
– They were painted precisely because I had no words. For me, painting is a means of expressing what I can’t say otherwise.
The background of the gloomy *Empty sleeves* (1986) is rage.
– The starting points of the painting are really sad. They are domestic violence and alcoholism in my immediate circle.
Marjatta Tapiola says that she was one of the oldest when she made the works in the exhibition with blood flesh.
Marjatta Tapiola, who lives and works in Sysmä, is one of the most famous Finnish artists. His works are in several collections and have been displayed in exhibitions around the world.
The artist has been awarded the Pro Finlandia medal and the State Prize for Fine Arts.
Tapiola states that he loves to live in this very moment. Nowadays, everything is fine and life is brighter than in decades.
– Absolutely!
Next, he plans to paint a portrait, but won’t reveal who. Biblical topics have also become interesting.
– I’m happy about getting older, it seems to suit me. I am also happy about this exhibition, which is an account of 40 years. I feel like I got a kick out of it.
*Marjatta Tapiola’s Toisin sanoin exhibition is on display at the Lahti Visual Arts Museum in Malva, November 4, 2022–April 2, 2023.*