Born 1949 in Jyväskylä, Finland. Lives in Helsinki and Fiskars, FI.
Jukka Mäkelä has produced paintings and prints with a singular power and energy since the 1970s. The style may have varied over the years, but his subject matter has had a consistent focus on nature, albeit in an abstract rendition. A landscape as a whole, or an interesting detail, can form the starting point for his works, which evolve from photos, sketches or visual memoranda. His dynamic paintings are built up layer by layer, often using several different techniques. The works shown in the exhibition are painted collages in acrylic and paper on canvas. The rhythmic play of lines suggests organic shapes, calligraphy or jazz improvisation.
Education
1968–1972 Fine Arts Academy of Finland, Helsinki, FI
1967–1968 Institute of Industrial Arts, Helsinki, FI
Selected bibliography
Timo Valjakka: “…Kaikki muu in toissijaista/… Everything else is secondary”, Jukka Mäkelä, Helsinki, 2007
Tina Cavén, director: YLE Teema 2003: Kuvastin: Monta tapaa tehdä maalaus/Reflection: Many Ways to Create a Painting, 2003
Johanna Hottola: Hikinen tanssi kankaalla. Maisemallisuus, abstrakti ilmaisu ja fyysisyys Jukka Mäkelän maalaksissa vuosina 1984–1994, Taidehistorian Pro gradu-tutkielma Taiteiden ja kultuurin tutkimuksen laitos, Jyväskylä, 2003
Hannele Jäämeri: “Ettei mitään jäisi tekemättä”, Suomen Kuvalehti, no 6, 12.2.1999
Altti Kuusamo, Maaretta Jaukkuri and Patrik Nyberg: Jukka Mäkelä, Merkki ja ele – maalauksia kolmelta vuosikymmeneltä. Sign and Gesture – paintings from three decades, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma,
Helsinki, 1999