Wilma Hurskainen

In her photographic series No Name (2007-2011) Wilma Hurskainen explores the themes of childhood, memory and time through photographs and text. By combining text and images Hurskainen wants to examine and question how these different means are used in order to tell stories or mediate memories.

Texts seem more direct in their narration than photographs; and yet it is the photograph that has an indexical relation to the past. Hurskainen’s other series combining photography, video, and text called The Woman Who Married a Horse, is closely related to these themes. In this series Hurskainen tells a story about humans’ need of controlling things stronger than us.

Hurskainen has examined memory and childhood in yet another photographic series preceding No name, titled Growth (2004-2007). In Growth she recomposed and re-photographed some old childhood pictures of herself and her three sisters. The new photographs succeeded in having a close resemblance to the originals, the setting and composition being similar, including even the models’ facial expressions. And yet, everything is different, as time has passed and it is not four children anymore, but four young women posing for the camera. The series reflects on childhood, the nuclear family, growing up and the inevitable passing of time.

http://www.wilmahurskainen.com/