Supercharged Lollipop Valley

HB381 is pleased to announce Supercharged Lollipop Valley, an exhibition of new ceramic sculptures by Helsinki-based multimedia artist Jasmin Anoschkin (Finnish, b. 1980). Anoschkin’s exuberant aesthetic springs from an amalgam of sources, melding the languages of contemporary folk art, pop culture, and the toy industry. The artist’s naïve renderings of hybrid animals are conjured from her own imagination and personal experiences. These animated works are strikingly fresh in their playfulness, yet they belie deeper qualities confronting issues around otherness and the ways in which “different” beings live in the world.

Anoschkin creates her sculptures entirely by her own hand, whether she is carving wood with a chainsaw or molding clay. Eschewing attempts at technical perfection, she does not hide evidence of these physical processes, embracing uneven surfaces or unexpected glaze effects in her ceramic works. Her whimsical yet poignant characters and the dreamlike world they inhabit suggest an alternative to the rigid and narrow societal standards of what is valued and accepted. Their absolute and unironic sincerity feels almost radical—perhaps even uncomfortable sometimes—provoking reflection not only on the prejudices we hold towards others but on the internalized shame we carry within ourselves. Empowering through the permission it offers, this fantasy universe is an invitation to play and to exist as we are, without inhibition.