Niilo Hyttinen, Ihmisen kuvaaja

210 X 255 MM, Bound

80 Pages

Authors: Pirjo Immonen, Arttu Hyttinen, Helena Hyttinen, Laura Hyttinen, Ulla Härkönen, Laura Nissinen

Design: Ville Karppinen

Kustannusosakeyhtiö Parvs,

2024

Niilo Hyttinen's (1940–2010) works are still shockingly relevant due to their human perspective. The basic elements of his art are honesty, experimentation, moral stance, and sparkling humor. Originally from Kainuu, Hyttinen is one of the early pioneers of Finnish pop art. He was a portrayer and satirist of Finnish masculinity who took the side of the weak. Niilo Hyttinen never succumbed to pathos or realism, and the main character of his works was always a human being. Hyttinen is also remembered for his development area portraits, for which he received the State Prize in 1970.

In 2022, the Kajaani Art Museum received a valuable donation from the Hyttinen estate, which complements both the museum's collection and the overall picture of the artist. This book about the works in the collection opens up new perspectives on Niilo Hyttinen's life and work. It sheds further light on the kind of person the son of a small farming family of six children was, who grew up to be a global citizen and an artist who, in his work, brought together themes from Kainuu with the canon of classical art. The articles also tell about the importance of the humane values of the artist's childhood family to his work and describe the everyday life of the artist family, both in the studio house in Nalkinkylä and on trips to Rome, London and Florence.