Kitchen Garden

Mariliina Valkama
Kitchen Garden
20 Nov – 31 Dec 2025

A kitchen garden is a place where a person grows plants suitable for food. One might think that food plants are at the mercy of humans, both as nourishment and as cultivated species. On the other hand, the global spread of the most common food crops is based precisely on human activity. A person clears other plants from the garden, turns and fertilises the soil, takes care of watering, and collects seeds for the following year. So is the apple, the potato, or, say, wheat the slave of humans — or is it the other way around?

All living beings need water and nourishment. Food is a complex matter that can bring great joy or suffering. Humanity’s relationship with cultivated plants has made today’s diverse cultures possible. The word “culture” is rooted in Latin vocabulary related to cultivation (e.g. cultura meaning agriculture).

The plant images in the exhibition refer both to old educational charts, which shaped a shared understanding of reality, and to the vanitas painting tradition, reminding viewers of the transience of life. The works use image transfer onto wooden surfaces, for example leftover pieces from a plywood store. Errors and tears are an essential part of this technique. They are meaningful in terms of content and make each piece unique. The base material showing through the image also contributes to the final appearance of the work.

Mariliina Valkama is interested in the relationship between humans and other species, especially plants. She examines the points of contact between humans and plants from a cultural perspective, using various visual art methods. Her characteristic techniques include photo-based image transfer onto wood, paper sculptures, and assemblages.

Valkama lives and works in both Helsinki and Tampere. She graduated as a visual artist from Lapland University of Applied Sciences in 2018. Her works have been exhibited in gallery shows in Berlin, Tampere, and Turku, among other places.