Arja Kärkkäinen   

Moon Bearer

Finnish artist Arja Kärkkäinen came to the TextielLab to develop a large tapestry for the new entrance hall of Oulunkylä school and daycare centre. The work was commissioned by the Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) and the Municipality of Helsinki. The tapestry, which measures 350 x 420 cm, hangs in a recess in the concrete wall of the lobby, which extends over two floors. In this noisy space, the fabric also serves the practical function of improving the acoustics.

Despite the requirement to use flame-retardant yarns, which limits the options, the tapestry incorporates numerous colour transitions and structures. The design is an imaginative reversal of light and shadow. An arched figure is trying to catch the shadow of the moon, which appears next to the tapestry – also in a recess in the wall. Interestingly, adult viewers did not recognise the black circle on the fabric as the moon, while children identified it immediately.

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Photos by Sonja Hyytiäinen, Helsinki Art Museum