Experts from a short interview with
Henry Grahn Hermunen from Finland-Sweden
Henry Grahn Hermunen is a
contemporary artist living in Finland and Sweden. After his university studies
in art, he received a scholarship. When attending the official celebrations of
it, one of the fine professors H. Wuorila-Stenberg asked Henry to follow his
path and start to educate at the academy. It was of course a great offer and a
big honour. But Henry had taught language for several years so art work in a
free way was very enticing in that stage. His friends and Henry joined an
expedition to Siberia where we visited archeological sites, met scientists,
learned more about Etnopsychology and the culture, people and landscapes.
Naturally, they also guested a few Buddhist monasteries such as one in Kizil.
When sitting on the stairs together with the youngsters, they asked the artist
and his friend to stay there and give lessons to them. The artist believes that
art is about communication and learning goes in all directions. Henry quotes a
poem:
Maybe you also heard it?
If not me, who?
If not now, when?
Everything matters.
In his studies and research Henry
understood that artists un-realisingly pollute water when they use bright but
toxic cadmium colours and similar materials. So he tries to be more ecological
in every aspect of his artwork such as its consumption, smaller sizes and
transportation. The art pieces exhibited are conceptual and minimalistic, but
they could also be parts of bigger installations as in diptychs, triptychs etc.
Even if they look sealed, maybe the message is inside, in our minds.
Henry understood that he had to
improve in many subjects, so these pieces also remind him of one particular
drawing he made in grade school about circular sense and knowledge, in time.
The drawings were important in finding the way. After that he also made an
“ideal” landscape on a other white page.
Decades later he bought the ultimate
place for living and studio near to the edge of a large national park. When a
storm blew down some threes the same scenery revealed itself more to the
artist.
About Henry’s landscapes, 2012 the German critique Josef Singldinger specialized on the painter Gerhard Richter, visited Palais für Aktuelle Kunst. The critique enjoyed and explained Henry’s art. They had a long dialogue where he clarified his analyze that Henry had developed and further expanded Gerhard Richter`s art work. Josef Singldinger has for many years been the editor in chief at the magazine Kunst & Kultur, and head of the culture department of the newspaper Hamburger Morgenpost and Hamburger Rundschau in Germany.
"Wings of
Time" by Henry Grahn Hermunen
In this triptych "Wings of
Time" , The first art photo shows the artist's shadow, and an ancient rune
stone from the Viking age. It is located in a field in Upp-Norrby 25 km south
of Stockholm. The runes on the rock says: "Torfast had this stone raised
after Halvdan his son". Henry’s father and he passed this place with car
many times when the artist was constructing my new studio nearby. Henry
supposes the stone will stand there for thousands of years more so people can
read and remember.
Photo 2 is from “Skogskyrkogården” -
The Woodland Cemetery, The burial hill (also Henry’s father’s resting place)
and the whole area is a part of The UNESCO World Heritage and burial place
located in the south part of the capitol Stockholm. The person walking in the
image is the artist’s brother.
A few youtube links about the artist
and his works:
https://youtu.be/quaAg8RJ5xc
https://youtu.be/kFzKJbO9H3A
