Simchowitz is pleased to present Roy Aurinko: Heavy Breathing, the first U.S. solo exhibition by Finnish artist Roy Aurinko. An opening reception will be held on Sunday August 4th from 11am to 2 pm and the exhibition will be on view from August 4th to August 31st at Simchowitz Gallery – Hill House.
Roy Aurinko (b. 1972), who lives and works in Heinola, Finland is known for his diverse techniques and a rich palette using oil, pastel, and acrylics to create orchestrations of color and gesture. In this body of work Aurinko calls “nostalgia paintings” he evokes fond memories from childhood. Some of these cherished moments are, in the Artist’s own words, “The usual stuff, you know: mint ice cream and orange plastic chairs. The smell of the copier in the basement of my father’s workplace. The odor of fresh sand and cement at a construction site.”
His canvases convey a sense of natural processes, capturing sublime moments of order amid apparent chaos. For Aurinko, memories are an important part of his identity noting the paradox of memories being both accurate and powerful as well as unreliable and deceiving. He says, “This contradiction resonates with the essence of abstract painting, which distances itself from the description of the visible world and gives the viewer space to reflect their own feelings into the work”. Aurinko’s approach to painting is deeply analog and physical. His entire practice revolves around gesture, senses, and bodily connections. This tactile experience is essential to his work, emphasizing the laws of contact and corporeality.
Aurinko’s works are a testament to the complex interplay of chaos and order, precision, and spontaneity. Evoking speed, precision, and care, his marks range from fluid strokes to scratched, dripped, and scumbled textures, often featuring meandering lines and labyrinthian patterns that seem carved or pressed into thick passages of impasto. This intricate layering adds a dimensionality that invites viewers to explore the depth and detail of each piece. This series of works shows Aurinko’s technical prowess in addition to his profound engagement with the natural world and the human condition.