Tatu Vuolteenaho paints portraits of queer witches. They are queers and their allies who are into spirituality.
Queer people have often felt excluded from mainstream religions and spiritual groups. Gay culture in the western world offers alcohol, sex, shopping and bitching but spirituality has been less visible. In other cultures the queers have been seen differently. They have often held intersex, androgynous people, feminine males and masculine females in high respect and the queers have been seen as religious leaders and teachers.
Tatu takes photographs first and paints from the photos. Tatu participates in workshops, rituals, healings etc. to learn more about the models. That way he hopes to get some magic into the paintings.
The project has received an art grant from The Finnish Cultural Foundation.
18 paintings have been done so far, above are the first 6: Yiorgos, Yvonne (sold), Martyn (sold), Johannes, Risto and Maisa.
The paintings are 100 x 81 cm, acrylic on canvas
Exhibition at Hercules, Helsinki on 30. 9. 2022 - May 2023. The opening is 2-HOUR RITUAL RAVE, Link to the Facebook event.
Paintings have been exhibited in Adlerfelt in Suomenlinna, Helsinki, in Tillarigalleria in Nivala, in Hercules Nightclub in Helsinki and in Mas Amigos que Nunca and Sissy Bag in Madrid
EXHIBITIONS IN 2022:
- Seinäjoen Käistyömessut, Seinäjoki Areena on 7.10. - 9.10.
- Out Of The Box Gallery, organized by Bridge, Helsinki on 15.10. - 11.11.
EXHIBITIONS IN 2023:
- Instituto Iberoamerica de Finlandia in Madrid in April/May (dates to be confirmed)
- Akustiikka in Ylivieska in June
- Aarni Gallery in Espoo in December
Tatu has more QW models from The UK, Finland, Spain, Venezuela and Australia.
See intros of Queer Witches who have said yes to having their portraits painted.
Aim is to have exhibitions in many countries. This project can go even further: research trips to Latin America, academic studies and a book.
QW art project aims to sell the works and part of the profits go to help our less fortunate LGBT+ friends. A gay refugee from Uganda Geoffrey Rainbo has inspired us to include this aspect into the project.
Wigs for refugees or what could we do? (Article about Geoffrey)
Tatu Vuolteenaho is giving art talks called "Drag Queens, Aliens and Queer Witches". They are about Tatu's colourful queer party history and why the QW art project seems like a good idea now. Tatu can give the lectures in Finnish, English or in Spanish.
See the London lecture from The Glory on Youtube
www.tatuvuolteenaho.com
email: tatu-art@hotmail.com
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