Heidi Lahtinen’s exhibition The Golden Toad and the Tritooths is on display at Gallery Katariina from July 19 to August 11, 2024. Welcome to the opening of the exhibition on Thursday, 18 July 5–7 pm!

Image: Heidi Lahtinen

Heidi Lahtinen: The Golden Toad and the Tritooths

The golden toad is suspected to have disappeared from the face of the earth more than 30 years ago. Golden toads once lived in large numbers in an area of ​​about four square kilometers north of the city of Monteverde in Costa Rica. The last sighting of the golden toad dates back to 1989 and the species has since been listed as extinct.

The theme of the exhibition is extinct animal species. In some of the works, animals are presented as if they were found in a tar pit all jumbled together: the head of an ancient goat has appeared on the Javan tiger, and the cow antelope has the body of a manatee. In some works, animals are shown as they were when they were alive.

Heidi Lahtinen (born 1984) is an artist who lives and works in Helsinki. She graduated from the Free Art School’s painting program in 2011. In recent years, her technique has been tufting and she has also utilised various plastering techniques. The Golden Toad and the Tritooths at Galleria Katariina is her eighth solo exhibition. Her works have also been on display at various joint and group exhibitions.