Totte Mannes

Finnish painter (woman) born in Kajaani, Finland, living in Madrid, Spain. Has been painting snce 1971. Has had nearly 100 solo shows and participated in 100 joint exhibitions in 17 countries.

In 2018 she will be 85 years. Various exhibitions will be organized in her honour in Spain and Finland, perhaps in other countries too.

visual artist, mainly oil on canvas, also some serigraphs and lithographs. The works are divided into abt 20 different series, , such as Sails, Space, Catastrophes, Leaves and Ribbons, Faces, Mountains, Opera, Columbus and The Seas, Graphics, Masks, Music etc. There are abt 600 photos of her paintings in FLICKR. Has written 4 books with own illustrations, especially "Ars Gratia Artis" including her thoughts (in 3 languages) about art and a woman artist´s´life.

First exhibition in Madrid in 1974. Most recent in Gumbostrand Konst & Form Gallery, Helsinki (both solo and joint) and ArtMadrid 2014.

Other main exhibitions: 1975-2013
ARCO Madrid 1983,1984,1985,1986
Contemporary Art Museum, Tampere, Finland
Wäinö Aaltonen Museum, Turku, Finland
Ostrobothnia Museum, Vaasa, Finland
Fundacion Tikanoja, Vaasa, Finland
Nelimarkka Museum, Alajärvi, Finland
Crusell Cultural Centre, Uusikaupunki...

Various art courses in Stockholm, Helsinki, and Madrid. both painting and graphics.

Artist´s statement:ARTIST´S STATEMENT

From its start, my art has been “different”. I cannot help it.The Spanish artist Rafael Canogar said once that I am “honest” Perhaps he meant that others that imitate each other and change according to what is fashionable, are not “honest”. I am orderly because orderliness gives a sensation of security. I have always painted series. I choose one theme or method of which I paint tens of variations.
The reason why I do not do “action painting” , as thousands of male artists do, is that I like painting so much that I cannot leave it so easily.

In 1984 – 1989 I was an ”action painter”. Artists rejoiced, they said my paintings were “real art”. But I got fed up and as my storage space filled up with rapidly painted works, I began again to paint a work a longer time because I love working.
I try to produce a 3 – dimensional effect to my paintings which gives more life to the artworks, and I only paint with oil in a classical way,

The Italian painter Giorgio de Chirico said that the older he becomes, the more carefully he works. So do I. Probably we try to stop the time from runn...

see www.flickr.com/people/tottemannes
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