HAIR and NAILS GALLERY is proud to present Loaded, a solo exhibition featuring the work of Finnish artist MARI MATHLIN.

Mari will be traveling from her home in Iceland to install the exhibition, give an artist talk, and attend the opening reception Thursday, July 27 6-8:30 pm. This is a collaborative endeavor between three creative organizations, to initiate an international artist exchange fostering cross-cultural and creative dialogue. Hair and Nails Gallery is hosting the exhibition and national arts nonprofit Art Shape Mammoth, a placeless organization, is curating and organizing the exchange. The Future, a new Minneapolis creative residency program, will host our visiting artist Mari Mathlin.

Mari’s exhibition will feature process-led work, informed by her materials. Her process allows the chain of events leading up to the finished installation to link each piece, through previously occurring and subsequent stages of development.

Utilizing parchment paper, cellophane, tin foil, black paint, water and lighting, Mari’s installation explores interconnectivity, creating an environment that blurs the line between process and product, physically allowing the viewer inside of her working process. The title of the exhibition can be understood to contain a multitude of meanings, suggesting that each piece has been loaded with both conscious and unconsciously occurring stories and narratives by the artist as well as the audience.

 

About the artist:

Mari Mathlin was born in 1980 in Pattijoki Finland and currently lives and works in Reykjavik. She received her BA in Fine Arts from The Swedish Polytechnic, Nykarleby in 2006; her MA in Art Education from the University of Lapland, Rovaniemi 2010; and her BA in Art History and Theory from the University of Iceland, Reykjavik. Mari has participated in numerous residencies around Europe that have had great impact on her work, including at Drake Arts Center in Finland, Oberpfälzer Künstlerhaus in Germany, and most recently the Old School Residency in Iceland. Her work has been exhibited in group and solo shows in galleries around Europe, including The Nordic House, Iceland; Valve Gallery, Vaasa City Art Gallery, Gallery Carree, and a traveling exhibition through Oulu City Art Museum, Finland. Mari´s work mixes drawing, painting and printing techniques. She uses varied types of paper both as a surface when creating two- dimensional images and as a construction material for three-dimensional works. She has also worked with place and space specific projects in schools and communities.

This event has been organized by Art Shape Mammoth, a national nonprofit with a mission to connect artists with new communities. For further information, visit Artshapemammoth.org

The Future is a project and event space, artist market, Aquarian lab, artist residency, library, workshop and studio located in the Witch District of South Minneapolis. For further information, visit Thefuturempls.com