Tuomas Mäntynen painter, professor

Born 1932 Anjalankoski FinlandLives and works in Helsinki.

Studies:Central School of Industrial Arts 1952 -1954 Helsinki, FinlandFree Art School 1956 – 1957 Helsinki, FinlandAcadémie de la Grande Chaumière 1958 – 1959, 1961. Paris, FranceMain techniques: oil, acryl, aquarelle

Group exhibitions:

Artists' Association of Finland, annual exhibitions from 1968 onwards.Participated in many egroup exhibitions in Helsinki and other parts of Finland from the year 1961 onwards. The latest exhibitions being ”Aquarelle in another way” Sääksmäki 2010, VITAS (Wyborg artist's association) 80 Lahti 2010 , Gallerie Oljemark, Helsinki 2010 and ”Suven Suhinaa” (The rustle of summer) aquarelle exhibition in Tammisaari 2011 and Salmela Summer in Mäntyharju 2012.

Abroad:Sundsvall and Enköping, Sweden 1971 arranged by the Artists' Association of FinlandNaivist Art Triennial, Bratislava, 1972, followed by touring exhibition to Lousiana (Denmark), Henie-Onstad Art Centre (Norway), the Ateneum (Finland) and New York (USA) (Art from Finland 1973).Esbjerg and Aalborg, Denmark 1974Gothenburg and Malmö (Galerie Börjeson), Sweden 1975Dusseldorf, Germany 1976Prague, Koshice, Brno, Czechoslovakia 1976Modern finsk kunst, touring exhibition arranged by Riksgalleriet, Norway, 1975 – 1976Artist against racism: IAA exhibition, Baghdad, Iraq, 1976Barr, Than, Celesta, France 1977International Exhibition of Humour and Satire, Gabrovo, Bulgaria 1977, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1986Katrineholm, Sweden 1979London, GB 1981Copenhagen. Aarhus, Lousiana, Denmark 1983 -Lissabon, Portugal 1986Wyborg, Russia 1991Karlshamn, Sweden, 1992Wyborg, Russia 1993Grinsted, Denmark 1994”Insita 94” Bratislava, Skovakia and then to Nurenberg,Germany 1994Dijon, France 1995Aubingny-sur-Nère, France 1995Pärnu, Esthonia 1996Luxemburg 1998Antwerpen, Belgium 1999Berlin, Germany 1999Riga, Latvia 2005

Antwerpen, Belgium 2005

Solo shows:

In Finland:Taidesalonki (Bäcksbacka), Helsinki 1970, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2012Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Oulu, Kouvola, Jyväskylä, Porvoo, Kerava et.c. 1963 – 2012

Abroad:Gummesons Art Gallerie, Stockholm, Sweden 1973, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1985Västerås and Uppsala, Sweden 1973Södertälje, Sweden 1977Gallerie Cupido, Stockholm, Sweden 1991, 1994 Aubonne, Switzerland 1980Gallerie Runhof, Colonge, Germany 1983

Latest solo exhibition being in Helsinki, Finland 17.03. - 04.04.2012.

Stipends:

Annual State artist's stipends (1976 -)Honorary mention, Gabrovo Exhibition of Humour and Satire, 1977Pro Finlandia Prize 1986State artists´s pension 1992 -Professor 1996Ars Wasa prize 2005

Represented for example in following collections :

The Art Museum of Ateneum and Kiasma (Modern Art collection), HelsinkiMuseum of Modern Art, TampereSara Hildén Museum, TampereWäinö Aaltonen Museum, TurkuLahti Art MuseumJoensuu Art MuseumMuseum of Ostrobothnia, VaasaAlva Aalto Museum, JyväskyläFinnish StateCities of Anjalankoski, Espoo, Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Kerava, Kotka, Kouvola, Oulu, Pori, Tampere, Tornio, Turku and Vaasa Finnish Parliament HouseThe Bäckbacka, Grahn, IBM, Kuntsi, Veli Aine and Vihuri FoudationsValamo MonasteryMurals for Korpilahti ChurchRestaurant of Seinäjoki RailwaystationFinnish Rairoad Organization

Stockholm and Västerås cities, Karlshamn Art Association, Skandia insurance, NB bank, KF-konsum, SwedenThe House of Humour and Satire collection Gabrovo, Bulgaria

Wyborg Museum, Russia

Tuomas Mäntynen is famous of his rich palette in his emotional and naivistic paintings. The important subjects in his art are human beings and their relationships.

Tuomas Mäntynen is a benevolent observer, always wandering his own paths, recording events and stories, making us to see the riches of human life and the unique moments of a day or the weather. The original and skilful colourist can combine myth and reality. The colours captivate, and the canvases don't need to be large to convince.

”The starting point for my paintings is some event which I have seen, and experienced. In the painting the event in itself does not always function as I want it to manifest itself. As I paint it, it changes. Sometimes it has to be changed, even a bit violently. I have to leave something out, or to add to some aspect of its colour or shape. Even also the thought itself, the idea, can be changed or it can be clarified andsimplified, In the portrait paintings – the pictures of faces – transformation may occure. Some part of the painting has to be toned down, or emphasised by caricaturing it. But so that the thing (the essence) that I have detected does not vanish, but is preserved and made more acute. In my ”portraits” I don't want to make fun of people, to mock or to be cynical. I do not want to say anything to make them look ridiculous. I just look kindly and with humour at my fellow people who can take themselves so seriously and who are sometimes so pompous.”