Artist interview: Timo Tyynismaa

Timo Tyynismaa is an architect from Oulu, and as a counterbalance to his work Tyynismaa focuses on arts – especially on painting murals. He has been drawing and painting for as long as he remembers. Even though Tyynismaa’s interest in mathematics lead him to study architecture, arts have always been his companion. Tyynismaa has tested all kinds of painting instruments: from an airbrush to a tattoo pen.

Graffiti spray paints, which are often used in making murals, were a “so-called love at first sight” to the artist. Even though Tyynismaa is relatively new in the street art scene, his hunger to learn and to evolve is great.

– Making street art feels especially good because the work is immediately published and at the “gallery.” Sometimes I get feedback while painting.

When Tyynismaa has no restrictions or rules on what he should paint, he can “walk to the wall and just go for it.” He pursues to make his artwork fit the environment it is at, and he has often felt that adding animals and colourfulness to the grey surroundings built by people is needed.

– I paint very intuitively, and I’m not sure if I even have my own recognizable style yet. I had an exhibition at Pasila Urban Art Center, and the curator said that my work looks like it could be made by several different artists.

Searching for his own style and the ongoing process of evolving techniques and stylistic approaches inspire Tyynismaa. He thinks that one can never reach up to the high point, because there will always be levels that can be reached out for as an artist. As far as his artwork goes, Tyynismaa wishes that he won’t get a reputation for painting only animal-related pictures; the objects of his interest can and will change over time.

– Organic topics feel like they are my thing now, but I don’t know what will interest me in the next few years. I find the exploration of the encounters between opposites fascinating, because they create tension easily and something to think about.

In Tyynismaa’s artwork at Keran Hallit one can find nature and urbanity opposing, but then again overlapping. In the very center of the artwork there is a character that seems to be from an urban environment, but she is holding a cranberry picker, and two “cranberry sniffers” surround her.

– I started with the thought that I will not paint animals, and human characters were next in line.

Painting the Keran Hallit was an excellent opportunity for Tyynismaa to develop his skills. Chatting with the other artists and watching their work progressing was an exciting part of the experience for him. The weather was favouring the painting, and because of his previous experiences with murals, working with such large-scale paintings wasn’t too tricky.

– Somehow, I sensed that there would for sure be professionals and painters better than me around. That kind of situation is the best for learning new!

Tyynismaa wishes that in the future, other cities in Finland will take a note from the capital area and start using empty buildings and spaces for alternative temporary usage. Especially Tyynismaa wishes this to happen in his own hometown, Oulu.

– I don’t know if these places demand a certain amount of renters, but someone brave in Oulu should do something similar!