I would like to approach the concept of pure beauty through the image of my drawing I submitted. This drawing has a lot of meaning for me and although it’s one of the first ones I did as a professional illustrator, it is a perfect drawing done at the perfect moment. I was still starting out as a fashion illustrator drawing live at the backstage and getting a phone call from Dior was really a dream come true. Being invited to draw at such a major show in Paris with only a couple of other shows under my belt was really wonderful and exciting. It was awesome to witness the diverse teams of creative people, all being the best at what they do, intensely working together while the atmosphere was calm, fun and welcoming. Everyone seemed to be there only with one goal in mind: to make something amazing happen! That being said I quickly learned that not everything was so perfect. The idea was that I could choose favourite models and looks to illustrate before the show, but as I was getting ready to start I was told that the models didn’t have time to pose at all. The show had to start right away, as many important personalities had arrived earlier than expected. Instead of giving up I decided to simply start drawing and capture whatever I could while the show was in action. This drawing I selected is picturing a model quickly being changed into another look. His back was facing me and I captured the moment he was putting on a beautiful patent leather jacket in the exact color that I had with me. I often look at this drawing as inspiration for my new drawings, as for me it perfectly captures the essence of what I was looking at -the energy at the backstage- and exists in the cutting edge between expression, minimalism, representation and abstraction. So, pure beauty for me is not only what I’m looking at. It is a rare and wonderful occurrence that sometimes happens—a perfect combination of interactions with my subjects and their energy, the moments and scenes that I draw and the important ingredient of the unexpected!
Artist and illustrator Jarno Kettunen: “Pure beauty for me is not only what I’m looking at. It is a rare and wonderful occurrence that sometimes happens—a perfect combination of interactions with my subjects and their energy, the moments and scenes that I draw and the important ingredient of the unexpected!”
IG@jarnosees