The AudioPorn Central is a music site, but as you know it already we are pretty crazy about the visual arts as well. So we started the AudioPorn Art Exhibition series a while ago. We’ve introduced three artists to you already (Pheugoo, Wexfordgirl, RedandJonny) and because of many many things this virtual
exhibition series been stopped.

But last week somehow I found the site of Sami Havia and his works made me to restart the AudioPorn Art Exhibition series. So here you go, please welcome Sami and his amazing pictures painted on casettes.
Yes, on casettes!!!

Chicklover,
lithography, 30 x 40cm, 2004

Name:  Sami Havia
Location: Helsinki, Finland

APC: When and how did you started to make visual art?
Sami: I’ve always loved to draw, but when I was a teenager I started to really think of art more seriously.
Story books, comics, cartoons, graffiti and album covers where my most important inspiration at that time, and still are in some way. The strongest moment though was back in the day when I was listening to Sepultura’s album Arise and at the same time observing the album cover made by Michael Whelan. I was so stoked because of the music and album art combined, that I thought that this is something that I also want to do!

APC: Do you have other creative activities or any connections to music?
Sami: Well actually no. This artsy stuff is so comprehensive that I don’t have enough brain capasity for other creative things. I’ve always wanted to be a rockstar, but my friends are better in it so I don’t have to bother. I just stick with listening to music and collecting vinyls.

APC: How do you get the concept to paint on tapes?
Sami: The first time I was thinking of doing something with c-casettes was when I was taking part in a course at Finnish Academy of Fine Arts where I’m now studying my fifth year. The idea of this course was to do artwork out of trash and recycled stuff. There I made my first version of casettepaintig and it was a self portrait exploring the world -85 . I got good feedback of that work so I decided to continue with that material and take the idea one step further. This was the beginning of my first solo exhibition Home/away.

exploring the world -85

The exhibition was about exploring the importance of having your own space and escaping reality as well as the connection of music and visual arts to this. Everybody has experiences of the importance of having your own room/space: how closing the world outside by locking the door of your room while still living at your parents place.  I myself  have had the need of  covering for example the noice of my parents arguments or  the annoying sound of a vacuum. As well as music, visual arts are also a way of escaping the reality. I chose artists to be part of the paintings that have been somehow meeningfull to me. C-cassettes were for me the first format for listening to music when I was a child and therefore a natural choice of material.

APC:  Where can the people see your works?
Sami: The easiest and fastest way is to go to my website www.samihavia.com Next year and after that hopefully in many galleries, streets and as many places as possible.

APC: Do you ever had and exhibition in the real life? When and where?
Sami: I had my first solo exhibition Home/away in October 2006 in a gallery & shop Myymälä2 Helsinki. Before and after that, I’ve been in several group and other exhibitions.

APC: Who is your fave designer of visual artist?
Sami: Oh, I have so many. Mauri Kunnas, James Jean, Blu, Kalle Nieminen, King Trash, Timo Heino, Tomokazu Matsuyama, Paavo Paunu… and the list goes on and on.

Spasm , acrylic & ink, 80cm x 100cm, 2008

Adventures of the penetrator demon, charcoal, acrylic & ink, 2008

APC: What is the project you are working on now?
Sami: I’ve started to work with my masterdiploma exhibition at Finnish Academy of Fine Arts. I’m dealing with subjects like peoples urge for collecting, coincidences and imagination. My recent works Spasm and The adventures of the penetrator demon may give you a hint of what it’s going to be.   

Thank you Sami and good luck with your future projects!!

Crosswalk, acrylic & charcoal on canvas, 180 x 70cm, 2003

Connections, charcoal on canvas, 66 x 108cm & 66 x 141cm, 2004

Lovers, silk-screen, 50 x 70cm, 2007

c-casettes series
here are some of the brilliant casette pictures of Sami
make sure to check the whole series
let’s play a game, try to find out who is on the pictures!
don’t worry it’s not that hard!
you can mouse over the picture if you need help ;)