When the Sun goes down We see Lemons (2019-ongoing) explores togetherness, intimacy, and definitions of femininity through collaborative and performative self-portraits. When stepping in front of the lens with the release cable in her hands, surrounded by her collaborators and friends, she voluntarily obscures the definitions and boundaries between object and subject, who is being photographed by whom. The result is a space filled with extraordinary empathy, warmth, and utterly engaging, strong characters. These inherently female subject matters unfold a universe that celebrates divergent expressions of femininity and actively deconstructs them through humour, intimacy, and playful dress-up. As the self becomes theatricalised, the poses are decomposed.
This deliberate confusion of aesthetics and visual codes calls strongly into question the normative Western canon of feminine codes: ways to be and ways to be seen.
Two Ways to Carry a Cauliflower (2021-ongoing) is a performative photography series exploring women’s self-portraiture and through play. To free the subject and the gaze from certain patriarchal ideals of femininity, the subject depicted in the images is portrayed playfully and tenderly as a woman who behaves, looks, and performs on her terms and rules. Often, playfulness can be perceived as naivety when associated with a female artist. However, in this project, Sarpaniemi employs it as a source of power. Through play, she envisions possibilities for new ways of existence and influence. Identity, reality, and imagination intertwine in the world formed by the artist. Sarpaniemi is not creating an alter ego or distancing herself from the character. Instead, she creates an honest representation of her identity and reality where she can recognize herself.
