HB381 is pleased to announce Supercharged Lollipop Valley, an exhibition of new ceramic sculptures by Helsinki-based multimedia artist Jasmin Anoschkin (Finnish, b. 1980). Anoschkin’s exuberant aesthetic springs from an amalgam of sources, melding the languages of contemporary folk art, pop culture, and the toy industry. The artist’s naïve renderings of hybrid animals are conjured from her own imagination and personal experiences. These animated works are strikingly fresh in their playfulness, yet they belie deeper qualities confronting issues around otherness and the ways in which “different” beings live in the world.

Anoschkin creates her sculptures entirely by her own hand, whether she is carving wood with a chainsaw or molding clay. Eschewing attempts at technical perfection, she does not hide evidence of these physical processes, embracing uneven surfaces or unexpected glaze effects in her ceramic works. Her whimsical yet poignant characters and the dreamlike world they inhabit suggest an alternative to the rigid and narrow societal standards of what is valued and accepted. Their absolute and unironic sincerity feels almost radical—perhaps even uncomfortable sometimes—provoking reflection not only on the prejudices we hold towards others but on the internalized shame we carry within ourselves. Empowering through the permission it offers, this fantasy universe is an invitation to play and to exist as we are, without inhibition.

The artworks are not mere wooden or ceramic sculptures but vessels for stories, memories, and longing.

(Veikko Halmetoja)

Each work that Anoschkin has produced over the course of her career as a sculptor forms a piece to an ongoing story. No linear timeline or cohesive narrative is made apparent to the viewer in this surreal journey; her creatures interact but their relationships remain ambiguous. Yet, the artist allows us glimpses into her inner life through the unique titles she bestows upon each piece. Often humorous and surprising, they imbue the sculptures with distinct personalities and individual histories. There’s No Italian Man and Bunch of Violets were conceived as a pair, in memory of Anoschkin’s late aunt Terttu, a great supporter of Jasmin’s creativity. When Terttu was younger, there was an Italian man she would visit every summer. Later, when Jasmin would try to inquire about him, she would always snap, “There’s no Italian man.” Bunch of Violets in Finnish is Terttu Orvokki, a play on her aunt’s name. Contemporary Stalker received its title when it emerged from the kiln and Jasmin, an artist for the past twenty years, proclaimed, “Oh yes, I have finally made contemporary art!” A recurring motif throughout her practice has been the unicorn, which she has adopted as an avatar both in her sculptural and video works, as seen in this exhibition with Platinum Yoga Unicorn and Golden Menstruation Yoga. Through her unicorn persona, Anoschkin rejoices in herself.

Supercharged Lollipop Valley marks Jasmin Anoschkin’s second solo presentation in the United States. Her breakthrough artwork in Finland was Bambi, shown at the Mänttä Art Festival in 2009, and again in 2010 at the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art, Turku on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Association of Finnish Sculptors. This piece was subsequently acquired by the Finnish State Art Collection. Anoschkin has been the recipient of numerous awards, grants, and accolades, including being selected as the 2012 young artist in the Satakunta region of Finland, as well as having her work published on a series of postage stamps in 2017. She has exhibited extensively, and is in the collections of numerous institutions such as the Espoo Museum of Modern Art; Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art, Turku; Hämeenlinna Art Museum; Vantaa Art Museum; Lönnström Art Museum; and Kerava Art Museum. Her work is on permanent display in the lobby of the Helsinki City Museum, and she is currently featured in group exhibitions at the Hvitträsk Museum, Kirkkonummi, the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art, Turku, and the Espoo Museum of Modern Art. Anoschkin has been a member of the Arabia Art Department Society since 2014.