Introduction to the artworks

Milky Way is just Semen of the Angels
1998–1999
acrylic secco and charcoal on canvas
Tampere Art Museum

Jukka Korkeila received the Finnish Young Artist of the Year prize in 1999, having graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki only the previous year. He was awarded the prize alongside fellow artists Janne Kaitala and Janne Räisänen.

The Milky Way Is Just the Semen of Angels (1998–1999) debuted at the award exhibition at Tampere Art Museum and was subsequently acquired for the museum’s collection. This is the first time it has gone on display outside the museum.

Toivo
1995
acrylic and oil on canvas

Toivo marked Jukka Korkeila’s artistic “coming out”. It was created for the Academy of Fine Arts’ 1996 spring exhibition in Helsinki.

Even before embarking on his studies, the artist had come to the realisation that if he did not embrace his own sexual identity, he would never become an artist. He has described that process as both a dark tunnel and as the act of breaking through layer upon layer of societally imposed shame. Artmaking became one of the elements in the process, ultimately leading to Hope coming into existence and going on public display.

In 1996, Finnish law still prohibited the “promotion” of homosexuality, referred to in the legislation as “same-sex fornication”. Similar to Section 28 in the UK, it was introduced in 1971 in tandem with the decriminalisation of homosexuality itself. The anti-promotion legislation would remain on the Finnish statute books until 1999.

Eye of the Needle
2004
acrylic on canvas
Sara Hildén Foundation / Sara Hildén Art Museum, Tampere

As the exhibition was being put together, Jukka Korkeila observed that Eye of the Needle would be the best-known work within it. The artwork’s fame stems from its inclusion at the 2004 São Paolo Biennial in Brazil, where Korkeila represented Finland. Almost a million visitors will have seen the painting during the event’s run.

Jukka Korkeila’s artistic career to date has been characterised by its decidedly international orientation. He has exhibited in more than 26 countries, including the Prague Biennale in 2003 and 2007 and the Bienal del Fin del Mundo in Argentina in 2014. His solo shows have appeared at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm in 2006 and the Nordic Watercolour Museum in Skärhamn, Sweden in 2007. Korkeila lives and works in Helsinki, Berlin and Glauburg-Stockheim in Upper Hesse.

Darkness is Full of Light
2025
installation with painting On the Other Side of Life (2022), acrylic on canvas, broken mirrors

Darkness Is Full of Light is an installation artwork made up of mirror fragments and a painting, titled On the Other Side of Life (2022, acrylic on canvas), suspended among them.

The shattered images reflected by the mirrors are a direct reference to our fragmented era, evoking our dislocated sense of identity and the broken social media landscape that surrounds us as well as the social polarisation and global conflicts that continue to characterise our present.

On the Other Side of Life offers light and hope for a broken world. It is a portrait of sorts of paradise itself; an interpretation of how the hereafter might look. Holding dominion and sustaining joy and energy within this paradise, right here and now, are the tree of life and Frau Kraft, a character created by German actor Markus Karger.

In Jukka Korkeila’s philosophy, every single day and every single moment are worth celebrating. As we move inexorably towards the end, we must remember to savour the fact that, for now, we are here, and we are alive.

Oletko nähnyt tätä miestä?
Have You Seen This Man?
2024
acrylic on canvas

Have you seen this man? is Jukka Korkeila’s response to the unveiling of an official portrait of the current Finnish president Alexander Stubb in 2024. Though the broad grin on the statesman’s face is clearly intended to convey confidence and positivity, it can also be read as sinister and scary, a mixed message perhaps overlooked by those charged with selecting the image. What Korkeila immediately saw in the photograph was The Joker, a well-known cartoon and movie villain. The artist intention here is to highlight the importance of visual literacy.

Oneness of Purpose 
2019
installation with 60 paintings and copper-coated plastic foils

Oneness of Purpose incorporates a series of metallic rescue blankets of the kind used to preserve body heat in emergency situations. The display space has been lined with these copper-coated plastic sheets. Hung on top of them are paintings by Jukka Korkeila.

We are forever surrounded by celestial and earthly light that we can see. Oneness of Purpose is an attempt to capture the light commonly depicted in icons. In icon painting, that light is rendered using gold.

This installation has been shown on a limited number of occasions previously and is rebuilt each time with the specific space in mind. In this exhibition, it comprises 60 paintings by Jukka Korkeila from 2009–2025 along with one 19th century icon.

Pupils from Kauriala Upper Secondary were invited to contribute to the artwork and spatial arrangement.

We politely request that visitors remove their shoes or wear shoe covers.