15.1. – 6.2.2011 Antti Tanttu’s works depict the experience of human existence, whether individual or communal. The private sphere is always seen in relation to other people and the world around us. The works are displays of seemingly simple human experiences: of people caught up in the inescapably powerful grip of deep emotion. They appeal to feelings and sentiments we all share. The viewer can identify with the figures, feel sympathy for them.
Tanttu’s figures are sculptural, often depicted in emptiness, silence, solitude. Tanttu’s motifs are timeless and yet relevant. The universality of his themes and the manner of their presentation allow his narratives to soar beyond the confines of time and place. All of the images embody a thoroughly classical quality, the hallmark of art throughout the ages.
Tanttu’s images are at once beautiful and sorrowful. His style, instantly recognisable and yet highly appealing, steeped in aesthetic values, and resonating with a highly moving and thoroughly humane narrative voice captivates the viewer through an outward impression of familiarity, ease and accessibility. Tanttu’s works are imbued with a rare depth and complexity of emotion.
