2.10.–25.10.2026, Galleria G

Is a and is i.

Oh, and e.

Maybe.

My solo exhibition at Galleria and Studio G, titled ai, e, is a small visual play exploring themes of disappearance, dissolution, and understanding. As is often the case, the most interesting play can emerge from meager materials. This play began with a quite modest aquatint plate, which I printed with black ink over and over again. I continued printing—without a specific goal or thought—simply to satisfy my desire to look at a printed surface formed by tiny black-and-white dots.

While looking at the prints, the thought of a starry sky was inescapable. At times, my thoughts wandered to the rocky, tangible ground beneath my feet. Yet, all of this was merely imagination: the black and white dots embossed on the paper did not depict anything! It was bewildering to realize I was looking at an image—or a scene—of nothingness, while simultaneously everything I could or would imagine was emerging in front of my eyes. The small print felt like a window facing two directions: the near and the far.

As time passed, other materials began to accumulate alongside the ink and paper: various metals, wood, and concrete. Light also came into play. As my work progressed and my range of materials expanded, the time, deliberation, and understanding I had cultivated began to disperse. Dreamy visions of starry skies and the solid ground evaporated into mere specks of debris in my sight. Vistas of infinity began to break apart into small fragments, words to vanish, signs and meanings to disintegrate, and the view to shatter, thoughts wandering prints breakingdown into strains phrases harrows and once again, taking shapes as new aims.

Laura Vainikka (b. 1979, Lappeenranta) is a visual artist and printmaker based in Kellokoski, Tuusula. Her work frequently explores themes related to imagery, perception, and light. She is particularly interested in the complexity of the human perceptual system, as well as disruptions in visual perception and the flow of information. Vainikka earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of the Arts Helsinki in 2013, majoring in printmaking. Her works are included in numerous Finnish art collections and has been exhibited across the country, including at the Mänttä Art Festival (2024) and Galleria Hippolyte (2022).

Vainikka’s work on this exhibition has been supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland and KONE Foundation.

www.lauravainikka.com