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Aleksadra Ionowa - Master of the Mystical Art Aleksandra Ionowa was born in 19.4.1899 from Russian parents in Lahti, Finland. She also passed away in Lahti in 1980. Her father was a wealthy merchant. The daughter was allowed to study in the Russian gymnasium in Helsinki. As a bourgeois girl she got the best possible eduction among the elite. After she finished school, it was the time of great upheaval in Finland, and Aleksandra started a coffee house in her home in Hennala, Lahti. Later in her life, she lived in Putula, near Lahti. The defining spiritual experience happened in 14.7.1946. Suddenly she felt that "she was in Heaven and Heaven was in her". When she grabbed a pencil, images started to appear. In the third day she felt that she had become an artist. A power poured out of her and took form of images, aphorisms and musical improvisations. Aleksandra's work is very comprehensive. In his book "Taivas oli minussa" (The Heaven was in Me) Voitto Viro talks about 4000 paintings. The honorary chairwoman of Ionowa Society Kaarina Lindblad tells that even 10 000 works is possible. Ionowa Foundation has made a contract with the Lahti Art Museum to hold a collection of 1300 paintings. Ionowa's
work consists of drawings, watercolors, pastels, gouache and oil
paintings. The artist herself has said, that she was always inspired. Restoration Aleksandra lived with her friend Selma Mäkelä in modest household in Putula, Hämeenkoski. When Aleksandra finished her painting, she took a glass plate, a cardboard and strong adhesive tape to frame the painting. In those days, adhesive tape was a new product. It was used to fix the paper to the cardboard. In that way, the glue of the tape has come through the paper leaving an unfortunate mark. It is not just a cosmetic inconvenience, since the acidic taint is slowly spreading in the work threatening to destroy it completely. Osmo Haapasalo from Lahti has restored some of the work and is continuing to do so, but lack of proper funding is an issue in the restoration and saving of Ionowa's work. Poet Sirkka Selja from Putula has found an incomplete manuscript of Aleksandra Ionowa's autobiography. It's a sensitive depiction of her childhood and early days. Recognition A unique mystical artist Aleksandra Ionowa is not a well known artist outside of her old neighborhood. Small exhibitions around Finland have made her work known little by little, but it is still waiting for proper public attention and recognition. MORE INFO AND LITERATURE: Aleksandra Ionowa, "Kuvia ja mieterunoja" (1971) Voitto Viro, "Taivas oli minussa - Aleksandra Ionowan taidetta" (WSOY 1965) Sirpa Haila, "Aleksandra Ionowa - Mystikkotaiteilijan elämä" (2006) Ionowa-kokoelma - Lahden kaupunginmuseo (Lahden kaupungin painatuskeskus 1976) Väinö Kopponen, "Aleksandra Ionowa - Toisenlaisen todellisuuden kuvaaja" (Karatas 1980) C.S.Lewis, "Suuri avioero" (Karatas-kirjat 1970) (kansikuva: A. Ionowa) J.G.Bennett, "Aineen, elämän ja kosmoksen energiat" (Karatas) (kansikuva: A. Ionowa) Aleksandra Ionowan taidetta - vihkonen (Ultra 7-8/79) Ultra 2/1983, Väinö Kopponen, "Ionowan kuvien symboliikka" Lahti Art Museum Ionowa-collection http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandra_Ionowa
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"Don't rush, human, - go into yourself. - A. Ionowa
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