Markus Kristian Metsälä is a war artist and a builder of war-themed scale models from Hämeenlinna. He is a mental health rehabilitator with photographic memory. Markus has never organized any exhibitions, even if there was a reason. Markus Metsälä draws strong and current works of art with virtuotic technical skill. He has about 100 A1-sized works and 150 scale models. At best, one drawing consumes 25 pencils.
Markus’ father is author and war historian Tarmo Metsälä, whose legacy Markus continues as an artist. According to Markus, he has been digging for foxholes since he was a toddler. “When I draw, I think of the end result, just like an experienced chess player sees the opponent’s upcoming moves, I see the finished picture.”
Curators’ comment: Markus Metsälä’s drawings study a grim and difficult subject, war. The official stories of the war are truncated stories of heroes and enemies, but the reality is much more complex and terrible.
