Photo

MJ – ARTIST STATEMENT

August 26, 2014

MJ by Aki-Pekka Sinikoski

MJ by Aki-Pekka Sinikoski

Who am I? The photograph suggests me an identity – permanent and almost everlasting. But I’m more than that.

I’m inhabited by several identities that switch around, change, and refuse to take a permanent form. I’m different at every moment. The light knows none of us. It can’t tell me who I am. The light hits the surface and exposes only what is visible.

As a photographer I am interested in the surface, identity and change. I have been shooting a series of documentary images of a Finnish young man who has dressed as Michael Jackson for the last four years. Every day. I believe that my series deals with finding one’s own identity and the courage to follow one’s own path. At the same time the images pose the question of how much can we know about a person based only on their outward appearance.

Michael-Jan is not Michael Jackson. The outward identity that seems familiar to everybody sets him apart from the crowd, but at the same time it hides the person inside.

The boundaries of reality are blurred in the grocery store when a Finnish housewife starts to blame Michael-Jan for things related to the life of the pop icon, deceased in 2009. The lady looks at Michael but does not see him. She sees only the reflecting surface which resembles someone else. All of a sudden Michael-Jan is invisible.

Who do people see when they look at me? Who do they see in my images?

SUMMER

August 5, 2013

After two weeks of shootings for WWF, Aalto University, Herra Ylppö, My First Band and my own projects I just finished another two weeks photoshop maraton. Besides that I have just started a great co-operation with two Finnish designers. This co-operation has just started but it looks like it will turn into an exhibition in late 2014. (More about this soon…)

The next five weeks the Kingdom of Korea will be out of their royal office. It will be a perfect combination of holidays, meetings, and a lot of foot work at different events, parties and so on. There will even be a couple of photosessions but definitely not office work nor photoshop. Instead there will be a lot of long walks, sunshine, parks, coffee in the night time and hanging out with my daughter. Our royal family will also travel to Sweden and Denmark to meet some of our colleagues and artists and to check the latest vibes from the Scandinavian art scene. Probably we are also going to meet all the other Scandinavian royal families. We can’t confirm that yet but at least we have sent golden faxes with diamond details to ask them to arrange a royal gathering where we can polish our armors side by side!

Cheers, Aki

PS. Check out this URL if you want more renewable energy to Finland.

http://wwf.fi/naytavoimasi/

#näytävoimasi

THIS MORNING IS THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING

April 15, 2013


Sunrise! Time to wake up! There is a bit of snow left in Helsinki but I can feel it in the air already. Spring is finally here!  This morning is the beginning of everything. So much good stuff on its way.

BOOM! There is a major update on Korea’s website.

New interesting projects and a lot of new photos in Peki’s portfolio: Last Machos, Walkapolis, WÖYH!, Samae Koskinen, Dom kan inte se oss så länge vi är synliga, Landscapes, The Scenes, An Island… And there is even more to come. So it’s definetly time to wake up and time to take a moment for you to tune in to our new photos. This is your moment. Do not rush. Breathe.

Enjoy!

SAMAE KOSKINEN: HYVÄ PÄIVÄ

April 15, 2013

Passion and respect. Two great words. It’s great to work for and to work with passionate people you respect. Good Day – in Finnish Hyvä päivä. That is the title of Samae Koskinen’s new album. We are happy to tell you that Aki-Pekka Sinikoski photographed both the album art works and promotional photos for this album. Graphic design by our Super 8 Studio’s own beard warrior Jussi Karjalainen. Peki’s album art works for Samae’s Hyvä päivä and Kuuluuko kuuntelen albums can be found in the portfolio section.

BTW, several music magazines here in Finland have given outstanding reviews for Samae’s new album. So if you haven’t heard it yet, maybe you should. We love it!

PHOTO WORKSHOP BY AKI-PEKKA SINIKOSKI

August 26, 2014

Aki-Pekka Sinikoski is doing an exclusive photo workshop together with Marko Hämäläinen. The workshop will take place in Helsinki during the night December, 8–9 2012. The workshop is organized by Photo Do. More info (in Finnish) can be found HERE.

PAVILION | WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL HELSINKI 2012

June 14, 2012

The Pavilion, designed by students at Aalto University’s Wood Program, is a showcase of Finnish sustainable wood architecture. It is realised by World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 in collaboration with Aalto University, the Museum of Finnish Architeture, Design Museum, and UPM.

The Pavilion is an open-to-all space between the Museum of Finnish Architecture and Design Museum where you can experience the heart of WDC Helsinki 2012 year. All programme at the Pavilion is free of charge and open to everyone.

We are happy to tell you that Korea’s finest, Aki-Pekka Sinikoski got an assignmnet to take the promotional photos of the Pavilion. Photos will be published and exhibited widely, for example at 13th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale de Venezia.

But don’t be sad my friend, you don’t have to travel all the way to Italy to enjoy these photos. You will find a small selection of them (+other new works) even on Korea’s front page. Enjoy!

 

 

FINNISH TEENS (TOO CHEAP FOR YOUR MOM)

June 7, 2012

OOOOooooh mama! There is no city more Helsinki than Helsinki. And if you want to drink cream and eat diamonds we have something for you: The opening party of Finnish Teens (Too Cheap For Your Mom) is T.O.D.A.Y. Mikidimikidimäkdädi, this just drippidi dropped from kokidi Korea’s fakidi fax:

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Gallery Kiseleff
AKI-PEKKA SINIKOSKI: FINNISH TEENS (Too Cheap For Your Mom) 
07/06-29/06/12

The opening exhibition at Gallery Kiseleff proudly presents Finnish photographer Aki-Pekka Sinikoski. Sinikoski is known as a multi-faceted portrait photographer. He has also worked as an arranger and curator of Helsinki Biennale since 2006. His exhibition Finnish Teens (Too Cheap For Your Mom) fills the gallery with a colourful, gently humorous but sensitive photo document about the lives of Finnish teenagers. 

“We fear loneliness and getting rejected by our friends. We fear we are not good enough. The danger is that you give too much of yourself and just think about how to please others.”
-Viliina Kettunen, 17 years

The opening party starts June 7th 2012 at 5 pm at Kiseleff (Aleksanterinkatu 28, Helsinki). Be sure to be there on time because at 5:30 pm Finnish French duo Eva & Manu will play a live consert as a perfect soundtrack for the Finnish Teens. Please do yourself a favor and do not miss that one.

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P.S. We will have a big webpage update here at the palace of Korea next week, so stay tuned!