Toivo Santeri Salokivi (Johansson until 1900) has been called the sun singer of Finnish art. His positive attitude towards life was strongly reflected in his works and colour palette, making impressionism a natural artistic direction for him. The dominant artistic expression in Finland at this time was expressionism and its dark, muted colour palette. It was mainly represented by the so-called November Group, led by Tyko Sallinen. However, Salokivi clearly followed his own path and viewed his surroundings in his own way. At the same time, he respected traditions and remained faithful to classical art, which he had studied extensively during his many trips abroad.
Salokivi studied at the Turku Art Society's drawing school from 1900 to 1904 under the guidance of Victor Westerholm and Elias Muukka, among others. He proved to be a very precocious talent and was invited to participate in the Turku Art Society's 13th annual exhibition with a portrait study as early as 1903. At that time, it was very unusual for a beginner to be accepted into the exhibition. After art school, he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in 1905–1906 and 1908–1909. He also studied at various academies in Paris in 1906, 1912, 1924 and 1925. His trips to Venice in 1911 and Rome in 1914 were significant for his artistic development. Read more
Salokivi worked as a drawing teacher at the Turku Drawing School and the Finnish Classical Lyceum from 1914 to 1917. He also had his own art school in Helsinki from 1930 to 1932.
Salokivi was one of the first residents of the Lallukka artists' residence, where he lived from 1933 to 1940. He often spent his summers in the archipelago, which was close to his heart. The landscapes of Pellinge, the Turku archipelago and Åland are immortalised in many of his paintings. Santeri Salokivi died on 26 March 1940, shortly after the declaration of peace in the Winter War. In the spring of 1942, a memorial exhibition was held in both Helsinki and Turku, which received rave reviews and lifted people's spirits during the grim years of war.
The works in the themed auction, which originally came from the artist's estate, are examples of Salokivi's talent and serious approach to art and his own creative process. The auction also shows that it was natural for Salokivi to experiment with colours.
His wife, Majsa Salokivi, described the artist's creative work in three words: life, light and joy. It is undoubtedly these factors that continue to delight and fascinate the ever-growing number of admirers of Salokivi's art.
