FOUR SEASONS – a unique tribute to light and color
Glass art and steel sculptures by Ritva-Liisa Pohjalainen November 9, 2025 – March 29, 2026
“What a richness: our four seasons. Each with its own distinctive light, its glow, and unique palette of colors. They faithfully follow one another, aware that their time is short – and that awareness creates the fervor and joy with which they boldly and without hesitation paint nature anew.
The cycle of the seasons – light, shadows, colors shifting from one extreme to another – is the most important source of my creativity and strength. Their influence has powerfully guided my work, and this is especially reflected in my glass art.
Spring – a time of strength and unrestrained growth. Water is released from its icy cover, a birch forest from its greyness. As nature awakens, color takes the leading role in my works: the green of the forest, the blue of lakes and sea, the orange, yellow, and purple of sunrise.
Summer – thousands of shades of green, but now it’s the turn of red roses and the glowing flowers along the ditches. In my sculptures, the colors are enhanced by the festive light of midsummer.
Autumn – the grain ripens, and the landscape is set ablaze with color. In my works, depth is created by ochre and burnt orange. There is a hint of darkness – an awareness that twilight is approaching. In the evenings, the mist dancing over the lake is no longer bluish but shimmers in silver. The light fades earlier with each passing evening. From the moonlight, I borrow black and graphite gray for my increasingly restrained works. And, of course, silver – like the gleam of metal.
Winter – the colors disappear completely. Even from my works. They are replaced by the gray and white of frost and icicles. To prevent warmth from vanishing entirely, I add gold. From the fire in the hearth, I take red to create light in the darkness, when the snow blanket blurs the boundary between earth and sky.
You can experience the entire yearly cycle in this exhibition. For example, by the front window stands Connections – the red glow of fire on dark evenings. Beside it, Snowstorm and Autumn Storm comfort those who long for summer – in place of the vanished colors, there is frost, ice, and pure white.
With my works in this exhibition, I wish to remind you of how privileged and unique it is to experience the richness of the seasons.”
Ritva-Liisa Pohjalainen
Ritva-Liisa Pohjalainen is recognized as one of Finland’s most respected designers. Her career has taken her from the fashion and textile industry to precious metals, ceramics, unique glass sculptures, and finally to the creation of large-scale steel sculptures.
She has received notable recognition for her work, including the Kaj Franck Design Award in 2004, the Golden Clothes Tree in 1998, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Eastern Finland.
The wide range of materials used in Pohjalainen’s art is astonishing, yet one thing has remained unchanged: throughout her career, she has strived to fulfill her clear longing and goal — to reach enduring beauty. She hopes that the beauty captured in her works will also touch those who behold them.
For Pohjalainen, beauty is an inner strength.
“It can touch us instantly, like a soft breath — but isn’t it beauty that gives our everyday life its deeper meaning?” she asks.
The pursuit of beauty demands relentless, uncompromising, and often frenetic work. This exhibition features pieces created in Murano, Italy — the Mecca of glassblowing — where as many as eight glassblowers have worked simultaneously on a single piece.
“Sometimes the journey is long and requires overcoming many obstacles. I don’t always find answers to all my questions. But one must not give up, and one cannot abandon the journey halfway.”
“My journey toward beauty — even with this exhibition — continues.”
Photo: Petra Kuha
