COMMIT TO PAPER (2020-)
Collection of handwritten artworks
The artworks in this collection are made by writing out long texts (including song lyrics and excerpts from books) in uniform lines. Gaps in-between letters and words form images of portraits and landscapes.
Golden Places: Rauno (2022) is a memoir written out by hand on paper. When the pandemic began in 2020, Nummela’s grandfather Rauno Marjamäki began writing down his memories and experiences. Together the artist and her grandfather started inspecting old photographs and furthering the contents of Marjamäki’s text. In Rauno, Nummela has written out by hand her grandfather’s memoir in uniform letters and lines, leaving negative spaces that form the outlines of a scene of Tohloppi lake by which Marjamäki grew up.
Backstreet (2021) is a self-portrait that explores the artist’s personal connection to music. The artwork is made from the lyrics of 40 different Backstreet Boys songs written in uniform lines, where the gaps in-between letters and words form the shape of the artist’s portrait.
“I’ve been listening to the Backstreet Boys for as long as I’ve been listening to music. I really cannot say why I began to listen to their music so much, besides the fact that it made me feel comfortable, safe, and happy. It is music that I learned I could listen to when I’m at my happiest, and sometimes the only thing that makes me feel better when I’m at my worst. Somewhere along the way, it became a lifeline for me that has always been there when I needed it. I made this work as a form of meditation and as a reminder to myself of how important this music is to me and my well-being.”
End Credits (2020) tells a love story. The entirety of the handwritten text comes from Irish electronic musician Eden's production, including his EP End Credits where the artwork gets its name.