Jukka Suhonen:
ETKÖ OLE IHMISPARKA

"My works move on the interface, where the painting becomes a silent question. They deal 
with the fragility, temporality and hope of humanity without explanatory answers. The title 
of the exhibition, Etkö ole ihmisparka (hymn No. 612), the imagery of the hymn, acts in the 
background as a layer of memory – not as a religious declaration, but as a language in 
which comfort and uncertainty coexist. 

The painted surface is built up in layers and reveals the temporality of the work: colors, 
corrections and nuances remain visible as traces of lived moments. The human figure is 
often only a glimpse or completely absent in the works. What remains is space – the 
viewer’s own experience, memories and restlessness. The painting does not strive to 
close, but remains open, breathing and unfinished. My works invite the viewer to pause for 
what is uncertain but necessary: the silent weight of existence. 

As a whole, my works form a continuum in which painting functions as a tool for thinking 
and experiencing. They do not seek to provide answers, but rather to raise questions 
about humanity, vulnerability and the search for meaning – themes that are timeless and at 
the same time connected to the present. 

As an artist and through my art, I want to be strongly involved in contemporary social 
debate – I stop and challenge people to feel." 

Jukka Suhonen is a visual artist born in Joensuu in 1963, currently in the process of relocating to Turku, where he maintains a rented studio. He graduated as a visual artist from Kankaanpää Art School (1985–1988), and throughout his career, he has built extensive professional expertise in artistic work, teaching and the museum field.