Manu Mecklin is a finnish artist, who for the first time shows his works in Estonia.

The Finnish art and artists have still, after decades of  forced reticence of Estonia, remained for us terra incognita - an unknown area - on the map of our knowledge. The neighbours\' art has in spite of the few 80 kilometres remained somehow far, even though our few contacts convince us every time again and again that we do know their language, we can read the Finnish art. The exhibition by Manu Mecklin brings in front of us simultaneously an international man and somebody, whose paintings touch each one of us.

Manu Mecklin (1936) has studied in Finland and Italy, but he does not have an unbreakable umbilical cord with any of these countries. Mecklin moves freely between different registers, systems, files, melting into his art all possible experience and artistic languages. It is wondrous, how the Mecklin paintings throw overboard our first prejudice: that in a Finn\'s picture must be found sadness and melancholy. The brush does not plough a furrow, does not forge ahead in difficulties through paint masses, but flies lightly over the canvas. It lands here and there and leaves behind a line or two.

Italy - we think of extreme optimism and light-mindedness that is spilt over the edges. But Mecklin throws also this prejudice overboard without having a second thought. He is modest, far more modest. Instead of whistling and cheering, Mecklin prefers to talk in a more quiet, but finally in a much more influential manner. On his works we see people and things as if through a thin mist which disperses the objects\' contours. We are hinted that yes, behind this mist there is somebody, believe us - and we believe.

Paris. Who of those, taking interest in the Estonian art, does not know Paris. And colours of this city. One could be more or less sure that Mecklin is one with such knowledge. This \"mist\", which we talked before - this is not a mist, but a thin veil of colour. In front of the picture is drawn a slightly transparent curtain. Because it is said that: \"The harmony of colours together with constantly lasting emotional charges create the aims of my pictures.\"