Born 1976 I Lives and works in Pepino, Spain
Riiko Sakkinen is known for his drawings and paintings highlighting the world’s economic and social problems. Sakkinen uses characters and products from popular culture, turning the product’s message on its head. “In a perfect world, I’d be unemployed as an artist,” says Sakkinen, meaning that without the world’s social problems he would have nothing to criticize, and hence nothing to paint.
His upcoming exhibition, Business Class War, delves into the stark realities and contradictions of modern economic conflict, drawing inspiration from Warren Buffett’s piercing observation: ”There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” The exhibition presents a series of paintings that explore the battlegrounds of class struggle in contemporary society. Sakkinen has worked on the paintings over the years, but they have been refined to perfection specifically for this exhibition.
The works on canvas interrogate the nexus of capitalism, examining the rise of China’s communist millionaires who straddle the divide between ideology and wealth, and the illusionary nature of crypto currency, depicted as elaborate coin tricks that veil deeper truths. Through these visual narratives, the exhibition critiques the mechanics of power, wealth, and the perpetual conflict that underpins the global economy.
