Finlandia Gallery to exhibit Finnish-American fiber artist Desiree Koslin

HANCOCK -- An opening reception for the 18th Annual Contemporary Finnish American Artist Series will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, at he Finlandia University Gallery. An artist talk will begin at 7:15 p.m.

The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

The exhibit features New York fiber artist Desiree Koslin, a Finnish-American. Using Finnish fiber techniques including ryiji, transparency weave and double/triple cloth in unexpected ways, Koslin interprets the Finnish landscape in a series of woven and constructed textiles.

The artist Desiree Koslin at her loom. (Photo courtesy Finlandia University)

Koslin’s exhibit, "InSight: Views of the Finnish Landscape," features 13 ryiji pieces, six sculptural objects and four 7-foot hanging pieces. It will be on display through Jan. 6, 2009.

Koslin manipulates, transforms and exaggerates textile traditions. Her 13 ryiji pieces have a thick textural quality. Checkerboard fields of color illuminate their symbolic and cultural underpinnings.

"In so many cultures, the subdivided square has important symbolic value, as it is seen to represent a microcosm of the universe in perfect equipoise of contrasting values or colors," Koslin says.

Ryiji Weaving by Desiree Koslin.(Photo courtesy Finlandia University)

A perfect balance of rich colors and textures, Koslin’s textile constructions make one marvel at the thread’s density and weight, how it bends to the forces of gravity and how its interplay with light resonates with significance. Koslin’s Sami cultural heritage also informs her work. When viewed as a whole, echoes of the Finnish Sami landscape emerge, taking the form of very reduced and non-figurative glimpses of nature’s essence.

Koslin has been involved with fibers throughout her career. Her work in the design profession includes authoring books and publications with topics ranging from Medieval Textiles and Dress to Sami Embroidery. She presently teaches World Textiles and Dress for the Bard Graduate Center in New York and graduate courses for the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

"The interaction of threads and yarns has been a constant in my life, although this involvement has brought me to many different places and occupations," Koslin notes. "I’ve worked in women’s cottage industries, in noisy weaving mills, in edgy design studios, in classrooms and in museums -- producing, handling and caring for fabrics."

Koslin has recently exhibited her work in several solo exhibits in New York City at the SOHO20 Chelsea Gallery and has participated in the Annual Open Studios for YoHo Artist Studios in New York.

Koslin will work with Finlandia art and design students Nov. 19-20.

The Finlandia University Gallery is in the Finnish American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy Street , Hancock. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; or by appointment. Please call 906-487-7500 for more information.