Some Kind of Heavenly Fire
MARIA LAX
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Some Kind of Heavenly Fire by Maria Lax is an investigation and artistic depiction of stories discovered in her grandfather’s book. As a journalist he had been investigating claims of strange and unexplained sightings in the forests around where she grew up in a remote region of Northern Finland. Marias cinematic approach to storytelling creates a compelling and enigmatic world filled with mystery.
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The artists grandfather chronicled a variety of UFO sightings back in the 1960s & 70s. Finland, like much of Europe at the time, was experiencing an economic restructuring with industrialisation having a severe effect on remote rural communities. This rapid social upheaval lured many from the countryside in search of jobs in the cities. Leaving behind deserted houses and hollowed out communities amongst the harsh forests that had enveloped them, as well as the stories.
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“The UFO sightings coincided with a time of great struggle for Northern Finland. People flooded from the countryside to the cities in search of jobs leaving abandoned houses scattered across this beautiful but harsh landscape. It’s no wonder that the UFO sightings embodied a fear of the future, the unknown and the inexorable shift in lifestyles and livelihoods going on around them. Some reacted to the mysterious lights with fear, some took them as a sign they were not alone.”
– Maria Lax
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As Maria quotes from an anonymous source at the beginning of her now sold out debut book, “In this town we have always waited for someone or something – God, a millionaire, or aliens – to come and lift us from this misery.” It was during this period of seismic change that a surge of reports came in from local residents detailing strange supernatural events.
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Maria Lax continues; “I’m from a small town in Northern Finland surrounded by a vast, sparsely populated wilderness. Most pass through the town on their way someplace else without ever knowing it was a hotspot for UFO sightings in the 1960’s.
Unaware of this history myself, it wasn’t until I read my grandfather’s book that I learnt of the incredible stories of supernatural events, bravery and struggle against hardship in what is largely a barren land. Already suffering from dementia, he was unable to answer any of the questions I had so I went looking for the answers. I turned to the people who saw the mysterious lights, to newspaper archives and my family’s photo albums from the era.”
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Selected prints from this award winning series are listed below
For a full catalogue of available work, contact:
tom@opendoors.gallery
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PRESS
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Finn Heat, Maria Lax
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Heavenly Fire #21
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Heavenly Fire #20
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Heavenly Fire #19
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Heavenly Fire #18
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Heavenly Fire #17
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Heavenly Fire #16
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Heavenly Fire #15
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Heavenly Fire #14
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Heavenly Fire #13
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Heavenly Fire #12
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Heavenly Fire #11
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Heavenly Fire #10
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Heavenly Fire #8
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Heavenly Fire #7
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