Pentti Väistö
Tohmajärvi
Pentti Väistö – Pena Penna and penalismi
Pentti Väistö, also known by the artist name Pena Penna, is a former journalist who has switched to making art after a long career as a journalist. He has named his own art style penalismi. Väistö’s illustrations are full of color, imaginative and they hide a lot of small details in addition to the main subject. Väistö describes himself as a “young promising artist”, because he started his active career as an artist only after giving up his job as a journalist
Art without pain
Väistö’s long career as a journalist together with his wife Tuula Koponen covered a quarter of a century, during which they reported on international events, especially from the Balkans, Central Europe and the Baltics. Today, the couple’s official home is in Tohmajärvi in North Karelia, but traveling and exploring cultures still play a central role in their lives. This can be seen in Väistö’s art as a diversity of multicultural influences and themes.
Pena Penna’s art is known for joy and creativity, where rich colors and lush shapes create imaginative works. His works show influences and images from along the way: in addition to Finland, from Montenegro, Hungary, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Russia, Ukraine and, of course, Greece, where Väistö currently lives part of the year. According to Vaistö, viewers have noticed in his works references to surrealism, mosaic art, church stained glass, primitive and pop art, and also naivety. According to Väistö, this may well be due to the fact that he has been quite actively following these art trends. Strangeness and ambiguity have always fascinated him, and perhaps that is the answer to the question he is often asked, “what’s really going on in your head”.
The exhibition organized in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, in the summer of 2024 brought Väistö’s work international attention. Sculptor David Vušurović described Väistö’s works as “colorful and abstract, combining childishness and sophisticated artistry. According to Vušurović, Pentti Väistö/Pena’s creations are not just visual experiences but emotional journeys, where each piece has a deep sense of playfulness and depth. His ability to transform complex emotions into visually impressive ones Valjastamma’s compositions are really impressive the essence of abstraction and by adding a fresh, childlike perspective to it, Pentti manages to bridge the gap between innocence and insight.”.
