Felicia Honkasalo turns heirlooms into a photo-biography of her late grandfather

Losing a grandfather: a sadness felt by those lucky enough to know a parents’ parent. Artist Felicia Honkasalo never knew hers, and only found him after his death through a series of inherited artefacts. An exercise in meditative memory-making, she has monumented these vestiges into a new photobook; a posthumous visual biography of a man she never met.
Very little is revealed as fact; instead the story is told impressionistically, through passing moments and fragmentary narrative. One of the only things we know to be true is that he was a metallurgist in Finland in the mid-20th century. ‘Through these objects, documents and photographs, I rebuilt different images of him, and reconstruct imagined memories of him at work, of his everyday life,’ she explains. ‘In the process of making this body of work, these unusual heirlooms have become, in my eyes, animate characters with independent bodies and powers.’
These characters – some complimentary, some idiosyncratic – fold into each other, like mourners at a funeral, each with its own expression of loss, or celebration of life. A telescope; a grainy photo of a church; a tiny, egg-shaped sculpture that looks like it contains the whole universe in its patina; an open pack of bullets; an identity card from 1940.
‘They cast a flickering light on the complex relationship between the frailty of my own memories in contrast to the solid forms and eternal glances of the objects,’ she says. They are scattered, difficult and fascinating. And they ask as many questions as they answer: What did the objects mean to him? And why did he leave them to her?
Helsinki-based, Honkasalo weaves in a history of her native Finland into the work; a national story inseverable from the artist's idea of her grandfather. She paints pictures of ‘the wet lunches held at the mine headquarters during cold-war Finland’, musing on the historical moment the objects stem from, and the present they have found themselves in.
The characters fold into each other, like mourners at a funeral, each with its own expression of loss, or celebration of life
Meditative work is Honkasalo’s métier. This is a quiet, curious collection; as clever as it is unpretentious. It would be easy to say that by the end of the book, we feel we know Honkasalo's grandfather inside out. But this would be inaccurate; and would be doing a disservice to the complexity of a human life.
Instead, the book points out the vast monographic ability of objects and photographs to hint at histories, telling tiny stories in the footnotes; remembering what otherwise could be forgotten. Honkasalo has not distilled her grandfather's essence, or immortalised him. Instead she has cracked open the door to his story; allowing the rest of the world in.
INFORMATION
Grey Cobalt, £25, published by Loose Joints. An exhibition of photographs from the book is on view at Webber Gallery until 15 February. For more information, visit the Webber Gallery website and Felicia Honkasalo’s website
ADDRESS
Webber Gallery
18 Newman Street
London W1T 1PE
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Elly Parsons is the Digital Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees Wallpaper.com and its social platforms. She has been with the brand since 2015 in various roles, spending time as digital writer – specialising in art, technology and contemporary culture – and as deputy digital editor. She was shortlisted for a PPA Award in 2017, has written extensively for many publications, and has contributed to three books. She is a guest lecturer in digital journalism at Goldsmiths University, London, where she also holds a masters degree in creative writing. Now, her main areas of expertise include content strategy, audience engagement, and social media.
-
David Brown Automotive transforms original Mini into a high-end, high-spec EV
The DBA Mini eMastered: luxury motoring is rarely so altruistic and joyful
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
OPPO celebrated smartphone photography excellence at Paris Photo 2023
Smartphone giant OPPO announced the next steps in smartphone photography during its Paris Photo showcase
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Hermès blasts off to ’the silky way’ for breathtaking London event
Behind-the-scenes of Hermès’ ‘Brides de Galaxy’ in London yesterday evening, a jaw-dropping event celebrating the carré silk scarf and its instantly recognisable prints
By Jack Moss Published
-
Sarabande opens one-stop London store in time for the festive season
The Sarabande Foundation has opened a new permanent art, interiors and fashion store in London
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Now Gallery presents the vibrant culture of ‘A Young South Africa’ captured through the lens
Now Gallery’s ‘A Young South Africa, Human Stories’ showcases six inspiring photographers for the 2023
By Tianna Williams Published
-
‘Women in Revolt!’ at Tate Britain is a deliciously angry tour de force of feminist art
‘Women in Revolt!’ puts feminist art from 1970 – 1990 under the spotlight at Tate Britain
By Hannah Silver Published
-
From Nabokov to Miffy: Liu Ye on his cultural references
Artist Liu Ye tells us what inspires him, as his exhibition ‘Naive and Sentimental Painting’ is on show in London
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Christina Quarles on contorting your body to fit into the frame
Christina Quarles presents ‘Tripping Over My Joy’ at Pilar Corrias’ new flagship Mayfair space
By Katie Tobin Published
-
V&A East announces ‘The Music Is Black: A British Story’, its first major exhibition
London’s V&A East to examine the cultural impact of Black British music with its inaugural exhibition in 2025
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Hiroshi Sugimoto reflects on time and truth ahead of his London retrospective
As ‘Hiroshi Sugimoto: Time Machine’ opens at Hayward Gallery, the artist tells us of his guiding force, and why his Seascapes always end up in the bedroom
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
MJ Harper’s performance piece at London’s Koko will close Frieze Week in style
Artist MJ Harper will premiere ‘Arias for a New World’ at Koko in London this Sunday, 15 October 2023
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published