ANNA KLAUS: Halujen vyöhyke / Zone of Desires

In my art, I explore, on the one hand, the changing structures of erotic and social power and, on the other, the transformation of erotic identities associated with both the female and male image, particularly in the 21st century. In Finland, these themes have so far largely been addressed within the field of queer studies, but they have received relatively little attention in the visual arts from the perspective of fetishism and the fetishist, despite the diversity of approaches within the field. Through my exhibitions, I hope to open up and broaden the discussion around erotic norms and the politics of desire, as well as sexuality at an individual level.

Throughout my career, I have sought to normalize fetishism and bring it into the realm of everyday life. Life is not entirely about eroticism or sex, but for many people sexuality is nevertheless an important part of their identity. By making different aspects of sexuality more visible and commonplace, society as a whole may come to regard diverse expressions of sexuality as less strange or worthy of condemnation. Another important aspect of my artistic practice is the examination of art history from the perspective of fetishism. From time to time, I create fetishistic interpretations of old classics of Finnish and Western art. These works have generally proved popular with exhibition audiences.

As a young artist, I spent more than a decade painting what might be described as conventional subjects. Since 1992, however, I have focused on fetishism. In 1993, the German photographer and prominent figure in the fetish scene Peter W. Czernich was the first to write about my work, publishing an article in the widely circulated <O> fetish magazine he edited. In 1995, I met Steven English, an English rubber-clothing designer, manufacturer and founder-owner of the Demask chain of rubber clothing stores, who was based in Amsterdam. Three years later, he gave me the opportunity to present my art at the large-scale Europerve VII fetish event he organized. This became my breakthrough in Central Europe and led to an invitation the following year to ArtBizarre-99-, a major event organized by Peter W. Czernich at the Expo halls in Cologne. Following the turn of the millennium, this in turn led to exhibitions in Essen, Germany, and Copenhagen. Czernich has continued to feature my work in his later publications, particularly in Marquis magazine.

My works are held in private collections in, among other countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Profiles of me as an artist, as well as presentations of my work, have appeared in numerous Central European fetish and rubber fashion publications since 1993.

-Anna Klaus