Miisa Lehto and Samu Salovaara

Love and Death

Dialogue between two artists

Love and Death is a collaboration between artist couple Lehto and Salovaara who first started their collaborative practice seven years ago. Since then, they have worked in various projects together within and beyond the field of textile design. In this artwork they study their co-creative practice and artistic relationship through the creation of a woven room. While textile design practice in itself can be seen as a dialogical act between the maker and the material, the significance of a dialogue in this piece is emphasized by the two makers involved. Lehto and Salovaara present an alternative space, which joins multiple narratives about traditional textile design, conventional romance, two artistic egos, and ultimately: love and death.

The piece Love and Death is based on the following poem:

Brothers and sisters

Lend me your ears

Listen to my story of love and death

I fell deep in love

A girl of my dreams, you see what I mean

On our wedding day

With tears in her eyes

She gave me a kiss

It was the kiss of death

Love and death walk hand in hand

The way to thy grave is just the same

Ebo Taylor (b. 1936)

Love and Death, Conflict, 1980.