Anu Utriainen : Elga Sesemann - Modern Classics

Elga Sesemann (1922–2007) transformed modern Finnish art with her unique style. Born in Vyborg, Sesemann rose to prominence in the 1940s as an expressionist whose bold use of colour and choice of intense, psychologically charged themes set her apart from more mainstream peers. Sesemann's art is deeply embedded in lived experience: in her childhood memories, the natural world, the displacement wrought by World War II and her pursuit of some of the most fundamental existential questions. Her artistic approach evolved throughout her long career, and she continued to work at her studio-cum-home in Ruovesi into the later years of her life. This publication is the first monograph dedicated to the art of Elga Sesemann and provides a concise yet thorough introduction to a remarkable artistic career and an outstanding body of work. Sesemann is a modern classic of Finnish art.