Eiko Ojala – Everyday
Studying the forms of shapes and experimenting with light and shadow, Estonian illustrator and graphic designer Eiko Ojala created the series ‘Everyday’ showing simple objects in unexpected and riddling situations. The ordinary fabric folds become an indicator of a possible human presence or of certain gestures, while also revealing in some cases alarming elements such as the arrows and barrel.
In lack of a context, the viewer is invited to reconstruct the scene according to his own perception of what can be the beginning, the end, a mere detail or a significant act in the story. Therefore, the works challenge us to question how we see things around us and highlight our tendency to give familiar forms to anything we cannot explain.
There is often a disruptive element in the work or a specific juxtaposition or intended omission that reminds of the artist’s witty approach – the mosquito, for example, or the absurd target of the arrows. The mix of colors adds a sense of oddity and unnaturalness to the works, somehow reminding the viewer of witnessing an illusion. The fewer the elements, the greater the suspense and the more intriguing this precise and minimal representation of a non-existent but potential reality.
• •
Images © Eiko Ojala