When thinking of an ice hockey goalkeeper’s helmet, colorful team logos
with flames and tigers come to mind. They are usually painted with
air-brush for cool blending and finer details. Creating a custom-fit
mask using rough brushes, spray cans and oil paint would feel a bit out
of place? Well, that's exactly what KHL goalie Karri Rämö asked painter
Roy Hopiavuori to do. ”My friend has a couple of Hopiavuori’s hanging on
his walls and I've always liked them a lot.” says Rämö.
”I think it was February this year when I got a new mask from the factory and had no idea how to illustrate it. When I played in Tampa I had this Nightmare Before Christmas-theme going and my current one has the team colors (Avangard Omsk) on it. I wanted something new and got this silly idea to ask Hopiavuori to paint it! Roy works with this kind-of-a-street-art style, rough stencils and bad-ass details. I thought the result would kick ass in a unique way compared to other guys’ masks.”
With no idea what to expect, Rämö gave Hopiavuori full artistic freedom. ”Yeah, I was a bit nervous but in a good way”, Rämö laughs. After the commision, the painter disappeared and didn’t answer his phone for weeks. Just a few days before the World Championship tournament in Helsinki, Rämö got the call. ”Hey, your mask is ready. Want to meet somewhere?” The artist had come out of his cave to meet that night at a rock bar in the heart of Helsinki.
”The music was loud. They were playing Ministry and other love songs. I couldn’t hear much of what Roy was saying. Taking the mask out of the box I only caught the words ‘hardest’, ‘Ostrobothnia’ and ‘balls’. That was about it. I mean, I am a hockey player. How do you respond to something like that?” Later, Hopiavuori disappeared somewhere into the night. Rämö walked home and went to sleep.
“It was only the next day when I really saw it. First you might think what a bizarre piece of work it is - but once you stare at it a while, the details just start popping out. I think you could take a chainsaw, split the piece in two and there would still be something new you didn’t see the first, or second time.” Rämö analyzes.
”All in all, I’m really happy about the outcome. I haven’t actually decided yet, whether I’m going to wear it on ice or put it up on the wall - maybe wait for the artist’s death in order to gain value to the artwork”, he smiles.
”I think it was February this year when I got a new mask from the factory and had no idea how to illustrate it. When I played in Tampa I had this Nightmare Before Christmas-theme going and my current one has the team colors (Avangard Omsk) on it. I wanted something new and got this silly idea to ask Hopiavuori to paint it! Roy works with this kind-of-a-street-art style, rough stencils and bad-ass details. I thought the result would kick ass in a unique way compared to other guys’ masks.”
With no idea what to expect, Rämö gave Hopiavuori full artistic freedom. ”Yeah, I was a bit nervous but in a good way”, Rämö laughs. After the commision, the painter disappeared and didn’t answer his phone for weeks. Just a few days before the World Championship tournament in Helsinki, Rämö got the call. ”Hey, your mask is ready. Want to meet somewhere?” The artist had come out of his cave to meet that night at a rock bar in the heart of Helsinki.
”The music was loud. They were playing Ministry and other love songs. I couldn’t hear much of what Roy was saying. Taking the mask out of the box I only caught the words ‘hardest’, ‘Ostrobothnia’ and ‘balls’. That was about it. I mean, I am a hockey player. How do you respond to something like that?” Later, Hopiavuori disappeared somewhere into the night. Rämö walked home and went to sleep.
“It was only the next day when I really saw it. First you might think what a bizarre piece of work it is - but once you stare at it a while, the details just start popping out. I think you could take a chainsaw, split the piece in two and there would still be something new you didn’t see the first, or second time.” Rämö analyzes.
”All in all, I’m really happy about the outcome. I haven’t actually decided yet, whether I’m going to wear it on ice or put it up on the wall - maybe wait for the artist’s death in order to gain value to the artwork”, he smiles.
 |
| Hopiavuori & Rämö |
Mielettömän hieno tuo maski, taattua Hopiavuorta!
ReplyDelete