Finnish photographer Jouko Lehtola captured in his photographs the seamy side of Finnish society and the sensitivity of young people.

Born in Helsinki in 1963, Jouko Lehtola began his career in the 1990s with photographs of rock stars and people attending summer music festivals. Over the years, his themes became more sombre and socially critical. He photographed sites where people had died of drug overdose, sharp objects used in domestic violence, crashed cars, signs of the misery and exclusion of youth.

The exhibition features Lehtola’s works from different series in Kiasma’s collections. A film by Riitta Riihonen, Jouko Lehtola in Light (2011), is presented in conjunction with the show. The film is based on Lehtola’s diaries he gave to the director.