The exhibition features Tatu Vuolteenaho’s self-portraits of Eye-Lee and portraits of Queer Witches. Tatu has met members of the rainbow community who practice spirituality and magic in several different countries and has painted portraits of them. The technique of the works is acrylic on canvas. The sizes vary: some are 80 × 100 cm, the latest 50 × 50 cm.

The collaboration with textile artist Jani Maunula began in 2022, when Tatu received a grant from the Finnish Cultural Foundation. Jani designed printed fabrics based on Tatu’s Eye-Lee paintings and they were first exhibited at the Seinäjoki Craft Fair, where Tatu sewed caftans dressed as a Martian housewife. Since then, immersive installations have been built from the fabrics for exhibitions in Madrid and Espoo. The exhibition at Art Hall Häme features Eye-Leen’s work called Taikakaappi, where the experiencer can go into a closet, perform magic tricks and come out of the closet.

The fabrics have also been used to make clothes, decorative cushions and bags, and have been sold, for example, in the Fotografiska museum shop in Tallinn. The House of Disappointments group has made costumes from the fabrics under the leadership of designer Joona Huotari and they have performed, for example, at Helsinki Pride and Kiasma’s Queer Art Superstar Ball.

Tatu and Jani’s textile collaboration continues: 

The next Rainbow Magic exhibition will be at Ylivieska Cultural Centre Acoustics in August 2026 as part of the Oulu2026 cultural programme and a grant has been awarded for the exhibition. Jani will design a new fabric based on Tatu’s Queer Witches paintings and an immersive giant skirt will be built from this fabric. The exhibition at Taidehalli Häme already features a “teaser”, i.e. lithographs made by Jani, which contain details of the design of the future fabric.

Exhibition poster template: Kake

Links:
www.mylostuncle-missingsince1979.com
www.tatuvuolteenaho.com
www.thequeerwitchproject.com
www.taidehallihame.fi
www.instagram.com/houseofdisappointments/
www.instagram.com/tawasttease/
www.oulu2026.eu/en/culture-programme/rainbow-magic/