Photography by Riitta Ikonen & Karoline Hjorth
SPHERE
Eyes as Big as Plates
Ottawa, Ontario
Presented by
National Arts Centre
An ongoing photography series that began in 2011 as a study of the personification of nature and of folkloric explanations of natural phenomena.
A decade later, the series has evolved into a search for just where modern humans belong in nature, and it has taken the Finnish-Norwegian artist duo Riitta Ikonen and Karoline Hjorth to 16 countries on a quest to understand our relationship with our surroundings.Eyes as Big as Plates features new portraits produced in collaboration with retired wrestling coaches, pub patrons, Sami reindeer herders, Aboriginal uncles, kantele players, librarians, wild boar hunters, and surfers across four continents.
This event is presented as part of the NAC Orchestra’s SPHERE Festival.
Riitta Ikonen is a Finnish artist whose collaborative work reinforces humanity’s connection to the natural world. Ikonen received her BA from the University of Brighton and her MA from Royal College of Art in London. She lives and works in New York City and London.
Karoline Hjorth (b. 1980) is a Norwegian photographer, artist and writer. She completed her BA Photographic Arts and MA International Journalism at the University of Westminster (London) in 2009. Her photographic work has received the Deloitte Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London and has been exhibited and published internationally.
Riitta Ikonen & Karoline Hjorth have collaborated since 2011 on publications and projects including Eyes as Big as Plates (ongoing), The World in London (2012), Time is a ship that never casts anchor (2014–18), Signal, Lights, Connected for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics (2018), TEDMED Talk 2020, and Finnskogen Understories (ongoing). Finnish artist Riitta Ikonen received her MA from the Royal College of Art in 2008. Norwegian photographer, artist and writer Karoline Hjorth received her MA from the University of Westminster (London) in 2009.
