Joyride by Annu Kilpeläinen Opens at FISK Gallery

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'Joyride' with works by Annu Kilpeläinen opens this weekend. | Photo courtesy of FISK Gallery.

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'Joyride' flyer flier | Photo courtesy of FISK Gallery.

This Saturday, FISK Gallery—run by CalArts alum Bijan Berahimi (Art BFA 13)—presents Joyride, a solo show by artist-illustrator Annu Kilpeläinen, at the gallery’s new Los Angeles location.

FISK is Berahimi’s ever-changing creative project that started back in 2009, when he was a student in CalArts’ Graphic Design Program. During his undergraduate years, FISK published six zines featuring work by students and faculty from all over the world.

After Berahimi graduated, FISK evolved into a design studio, publisher and community-driven contemporary art gallery in Portland, Oregon. He and designer Michael Spoljaric presented more than a dozen exhibitions at FISK Gallery before closing its doors in 2016. Recently, Berahimi teamed up with the collective art space and pop-up shop Bad People to reopen the gallery in Los Angeles.

In an email conversation about the move, Berahimi says, “FISK has always been a project based around opportunity, the chance to share a space with CalArts alum Sean Solomon and friend Zoe Zag (founders of Bad People) in Los Angeles came up earlier this year, and it just felt right. Obviously, it gives us the chance to come back to the LA area where FISK was born.

“In the end, it’s been great being able to bring the project back home and share it with people who are both familiar and unfamiliar with FISK.”

Kilpeläinen’s Joyride features a series of new works in her signature style of brightly colored, abstract flower motifs. G-IRL, an online interview series notes, “Her feel-good aesthetic and flirtatious scenes are inherently euphoric while her confident use of lurid and rich colours embraces the extravagance of youth.”

Originally from Finland, Kilpeläinen now lives and works in the UK. Like many artists today, Kilpeläinen’s rising popularity stems from growing a large Instagram following. Berahimi commented, “There is so much amazing work across the globe seen online, but often these artists, illustrators or designs are not gallery artists. I see them as in-between low and high artists.”

FISK helps to fill a gap in the art world by providing a physical space for artists like Kilpeläinen to showcase their work and by giving communities a chance to see their work in person.

Come check out Joyride this Saturday from 7 -11 pm. The works will remain on view through Oct. 16.