HOMMAGE À UNTO PUSA

PRESS RELEASE

The Pori Art Museum initiated the planning of the exhibition on Professor Unto Pusa (1913–1973) by conducting a comprehensive inventory of the artist’s work. This effort resulted in the documentation of 335 pieces, forming the basis for the exhibition “Hommage à Unto Pusa.” Initially, the exhibition was intended to be retrospective, as earlier showcases, such as “Pusa and Friends” at the Helsinki Kunsthalle in 1973, included only a limited selection of the artist’s early works. However, due to the spatial limitations of both the Pori Art Museum and the Helsinki Kunsthalle, it was decided that Pusa’s early works would be presented through a specially produced multimedia program. This approach allowed the exhibition to focus on the prolific and significant mature period of Pusa’s career, which began in the early 1950s and had a profound impact on Finnish art.

The title “Hommage à Unto Pusa” is a fitting tribute to the artist’s life’s work. Pusa himself was known for his admiration and acknowledgment of other artists. Now, it is time to pay homage to him.

The exhibition catalog includes a comprehensive article on Pusa’s work by Kerttuli Wessman, MA, as well as a contribution by painter Erkki Hienonen, offering insights from the perspective of a student and colleague. Additionally, the catalog provides an inventory of all Pusa’s works documented during the exhibition’s preparation.

The exhibition committee consisted of Mrs. Maijaliisa Pusa, representatives from the Pori Art Museum and the Finnish Art Society, and Kerttuli Wessman, MA, an expert currently preparing her licentiate thesis on Pusa’s oeuvre.

Exhibition Schedule:
Pori Art Museum: January 8 – February 26, 1984
Helsinki Kunsthalle: March 10 – April 1, 1984
South Karelia Art Museum: April 6 – April 23, 1984
Kuopio Art Museum: May 19 – June 10, 1984

Organized by the Pori Art Museum and the Finnish Art Society.

Publication:
ISBN 951-9355-02-2 Hommage à Unto Pusa
Porin taidemuseo 8.1.-26.2.1984
Editing: Hilkka Kuusijärvi, Kerttuli Wessman
Translations: Teresia Ijäs, Hans Wessman
Photos: Douglas Sivén
Lay-out: Vesa Antikainen
87 color and 8 black-and-white photos
Cover photo: Aitta I, 1957, öljy 130×97
Satakunnan Kirjateollisuus Oy, Pori 1984

Translated with ChatGPT