About Johnny Kalin

My name is Johnny Kalin. I grew up in a very artistic atmosphere. My uncle (next door neighbor) is a composer, poet, and painter and his friends were like him, very bohem. We spent a lot of time together, and he became a second father to me. I started to play some instruments, but when I should have been practising I was drawing instead. So he said to me,
"Hey kid, forget music, I buy you brushes and paint".

I was about seven years old then, and that is when I knew what I wanted to be when grew up. In 1985 I sold my first painting (stillife) and thats when I decided to use title artist in public. (in forms etc.) After that all my "real jobs" have been artistic. I was an Art Museum guard for 3 x 6 months and my latest job was working in a small Dance Theater as lightdriver, roader, chauffeur etc.

In 1985, I also met artist Jan Palmu, he was a very respected stillife painter, his work is known all over Europe. We got alone fine, and one day he asked if he could teach me some things. I painted and learned in his studio for eight months, about 3 - 4 times at week. (Sadly he died a few years ago, God bless his soul.)

Next, I started in Pori Art School, it lasted 4 years. At the same time I took lessons in graphics by Seppo Anttila. It took 9 weeks. Between years 1985 and 1997 I had 28 private exhibitions around Finland and 2 in Sweden. I have been accepted to two bigger exhibitions, FF Fast Forward in Rauma Art Museum and Pori Art Assosiations Fall Exhibition.

Stillife attracts me because I love beautiful objects and the challenge to make glass look like glass, copper look like copper etc. And of course the main thing, light and shadow. Surreal paintings are my power source. My whole life I have been interested in all mystic things and it is my only way to get those thoughts and beliefs visible. There is the real challenge of light and shadow.