Sam Vanni. The Years 1926-1959

Sam Vanni. The Years 1926-1959
Pori Art Museum, 18th January – 22nd February 1998

The painter and academician Sam Vanni (1908-1992) is known as one of the most significant representatives of Finnish abstract art and especially of concretism. Before transitioning to become a leader of abstract art in the early 1950s, Vanni had already built a career in representational art. During this time, he became particularly known as a skilled form creator and colorist. Vanni characterized his early works, which were strongly influenced by his admiration for Matisse, as “impressionism-expressionism.”

The exhibition at Pori Art Museum presents Sam Vanni’s early works, including paintings from the 1930s and 1940s, created in the small town of Chevreuse, near Paris. The exhibition also features portraits of artist friends and relatives, as well as the artist’s remarkable self-portraits and views of Paris and Helsinki, highlighting Vanni’s transition to non-representational art in the 1950s.

Vanni’s shift to abstract art occurred gradually. The changes in his art are more clearly visible in his landscape paintings, where clear depictions of urban and park views gradually transform into nonfigurative compositions of colors and shapes, starting from the late 1940s. Vanni’s openness to international influences and his time spent in Paris, where his circle included artists associated with Galerie Denise René such as Edgard Pillet, Richard Mortensen, and Victor Vasarely, further strengthened his belief in the potential of concrete expression. These new influences became more apparent in Vanni’s wide exhibition at Artek in 1955.

A key work from Vanni’s 1950s period is the Contrapunctus wall painting, created for the Helsinki Workers’ Institute. Completed in 1959, this piece marked the official acceptance of abstract art in Finland. Vanni’s art never fully conformed to the strict demands of concretism; instead, it retained a connection to nature. The choice of abstract art offered Vanni a real opportunity to explore the worlds of color and form. In this regard, Sam Vanni’s numerous paintings, drawings, and graphic works have earned an important place in the Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation’s collection.

Sam Vanni was also highly regarded as a teacher. Alongside his artistic career, he made a significant contribution as a teacher at the Free Art School, the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, and the Helsinki University of Technology.

The exhibition, which covers Sam Vanni’s work from 1926 to 1959, was curated by the Helsinki City Art Museum. Before being displayed at Pori Art Museum, the exhibition was shown at the Helsinki City Art Museum and the Oulu Art Museum.