Yvapurü Studio – A Meeting Place for Artists

One of the desks at the studio belongs to Aryan Vandi. In autumn 2021, Aryan, who comes from Iran, visited an art gallery in the centre of Helsinki and met Yvapurü, who gave him a tour of the gallery. During the tour, Aryan learnt that the artwork at the gallery was made by members of the Pehmeä Vandalismi collective and that Yvapurü was the founder of the collective. Aryan’s own art was very similar, so he decided to join the group of artists. 

“Through the collective, I have met so many interesting people and made contacts that have helped me get involved in various projects. At the same time, I became good friends with Yvapurü, and when he learnt that I was looking for a working space, he suggested that I join them at the studio,” Aryan says. 

Six months earlier, in February 2021, Aryan had arrived in Finland to study Nordic Visual Studies and Art Education at Aalto University. The COVID-19 pandemic forced him to complete his first year of studies as distance learning from Teheran. Aryan says that Finland has offered him opportunities in terms of both his studies and work. 

“I feel that I have been able to express myself through both my studies and my work here, and the people I have met have helped me in many respects. In fact, my university instructor helped me find my current job: I work as an after-school art teacher at the European School of Helsinki.” 

Aryan considers himself lucky to have been able to continue his life in Finland almost in the same way as in Iran: in addition to his studies and teaching, he works on various projects as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer.

At the studio, he mainly works on his own art and prepares it for sale or for art festivals where he is involved. Aryan feels that his studies, work as a teacher and his career as an artist are smoothly intertwined: all of them support him in his growth and self-exploration as an artist. 

According to Aryan, his encounters with Yvapurü and other people have helped him adapt to a new country. He feels that meeting people who share your interests and with whom you can share ideas and implement them makes your daily life easier and gives you a certain peace of mind. The same is true wherever you are: in your own country or somewhere you have just arrived. 

“Meeting like-minded people makes you feel safe and at home.” 

Although moving to a new country and getting used to communicating in a foreign language felt challenging at times, and he was not able to find work at first because of the language barrier, Aryan feels that the pieces in his life have slipped in place quite easily. Aryan plans to stay in Finland after graduating, to concentrate on making his art and study the Finnish language, which he believes will open many doors for him.  

“At the moment, my life is good in many ways and feels safe: both my professional and personal life are full of great people. There is always someone to turn to for help. I would say that I am on my way to becoming part of the Finnish society.” 

MIKEL BASQUIAT 

Man working at the third table is Miguel Diaz, who also goes by his artistic name Mikel Baskiat. He was brought to Finland from Spain by love four years ago. In his home country, Mikel worked as a barber and has been a visual artist for 23 years – producing both in drawing and painting, including oil and acrylic paints. 

He found his current studio through a Facebook artist group. Yvapurü came to buy art from Mikel on the wall of the hair salon where he also works. Men chatted and Yvapurü tipped him about a table that was available. Since October 2021, Mikel has been making art under the roof of this studio. 

“You can find me here two or three times a week. I usually arrive at the studio first thing in the morning to work on my various projects; preparing commissioned pieces and making my own experimental art.” 

Mikel says art is a way of life for him – his life is largely built around it and he wants it to remain so in the future. Art has brought interesting encounters into Mikel’s life, and he sees it as building bridges and connections between him and other people. The art exhibitions they put on together and the audiences that come to them are an opportunity to interact with a wide range of people. 

Friendship and artistic peer support 

The three artists take a seat on the sofas and chairs in the middle of the studio to talk about what the studio means to them. All three agree that the studio in itself is a safe and free space where they can delve into their own mindscapes, unleash their creativity and do whatever they want. According to Mikel, it’s like a gym for an athlete or a practice for a football player before heading to a match: the studio lends a part of itself to the artworks that will then be displayed at exhibitions. In addition to being a place of creativity and work space, the studio also serves as a venue for events and gatherings with other artists and the public.  

“We organise open days and music events here. Last winter, we also had a Christmas market, and to our surprise, more than 200 people turned up with only very little advertisement. Visitors explored our art, we met different kinds of people and came up with lots of new ideas. Such encounters help us create new networks,” Yvapurü says. 

The three artists are often at the studio at slightly different times, but when they get together, ideas and thoughts are exchanged on the go. In addition to their friendships, artistic peer support has been important for them in their new home country. 

“Working here with Yvapurü and Mikel has given me lots of ideas and perspective on my art and career. You never know what kinds of interesting projects our discussions take us to,” Aryan sums up.