FOLLOWING the discovery of a 60-year-old painting by an artist who subsequently became the victim of a notorious murder, a Jersey-based domestic abuse charity has been chosen to benefit from sales of prints of the image.
The artwork was presented by the family of Tuula Höök, who came to Jersey from her native Finland in the mid-1960s to work in hotels and restaurants, only for her life to be suddenly and brutally cut short when she was attacked and killed on the night of 30 December 1966.
In spite of an extensive police investigation at the time and multiple cold-case reviews, the murder of the 20-year-old was never solved and has now become the subject of a book which was launched in St Helier last week.
At the launch event at the Harbour Gallery, the painting was introduced by true crime author Mark Bridgeman, who researched the case for three years, working with Miss Höök’s family and the States of Jersey Police.
Mr Bridgeman said the family had agreed to present the picture, painted in 1965, and that it had been painstakingly removed from its frame, with a limited edition of 100 prints produced.
The painting was unveiled by Kate Wright, chief executive of the charity FREEDA, and Miss Höök’s niece Susan Jalasti, who travelled to Jersey for the launch.
Ms Wright expressed her sadness that the murder had prevented Miss Höök from following her dream to work in the fashion industry in Paris.
“Tuula’s is an important story, and we want to help reclaim that story so that she is not just another statistic of another woman’s life cut short before she could fulfil her potential,” she said. “Money raised from this will support the work of FREEDA, and perhaps save a life.”
Ms Jalasti said: “I am so happy to pass this painting on to such a worthy cause.”
The prints are available for sale at the Harbour Gallery, priced at £10 for A4 prints and £45 for a larger size, with all proceeds going to FREEDA.
A video podcast featuring an interview with Mark Bridgeman is available on YouTube as part of the Inside the Investigation series.
