The Tree of Love © 2007
How I started and a few words about the media...
Since 1991, I have been making symbolic art (paintings mixed with drawings) that can be read and analyzed much like dreams can. In fact, it was an intense phase of dream analysis that triggered the unexpected startup of my art. In the beginning, I worked with charcoal and red crayon, then inspired by impulses recieved during my artist's training in France, I started using inks and crayons of all colours. I exhibited extensively throughout the 1990’s, mostly in group exhibitions in the Finnish seaside resort Hanko where I spent my holidays at my mother's residence, and more importantly, on a private basis in the Finnish capital city Helsinki where I was residing at the time. Some time around the millennia I had to stop drawing, as my physical condition was preventing me from doing very finicky things with my hands. This is when inspired by my knowledge of découpage, I started to make collages. The tranisition was indeed fairly smooth as I had acquired a quantity of books with copyright free images, and also a lot of knowledge about the "potions and lotions" of crafts and mixed media art. Vintage collaging came into fashion a few laters and many excellent books are nowadays available. It's a great craft and hobby for many, but I endeavour to try and bring it to the level of symbolic art. I find a certain pleasure in the idea of collaging being an endeavour connected to the collective! This is expressed through the use of old copyright free images, which were done by others, in older times, and for other purposes altogether. In fact the result is often surreal.
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NOTE: My art is primarily symbolic art (symbolism), but a lot of it could also be called metaphysical, esoteric, spiritual and even surreal (though the latter would imply a certain lack of logic which I don't think mine display, as they follow the logic inherent in dreams and dreams are not irrational!) My artistic intention is to highlight emotional and social issues but also connect it to my inner knowing of the underlying oneness of all existence. This inner knowing is not dependent on external sources.
as well as view a wealth of images on the following page!»
©
PLEASE NOTE, THAT ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHTED AND CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT MY APPROVAL!
House of Cards © 2008
To sum it up...
My life... has been about issues of a mundane as well as spiritual nature that I have had to figure out on my own. Time after time I have found that I have had to rely on myself for solutions. Although we are all interconnected, it seems that some of us have to walk a lonely road, maybe in order to personalize their destiny to a maximum and make a personal contribution to this world. I believe that for life to evolve, unheard of things must happen... I'm sure it's all worth it in the end. And I'm glad there are many more lonely roads out there that converge into mine. I would be honoured to hear your opinion on my artwork, as art is one of my most important means of reaching out to other human beings. My artistic production follows my own inner development like that of a diary and you can read them as you read DREAMS. I guess you could call them symbolic illustrations.
My Secret Garden © 1997
Life is... a play of opposites and this has been my guideline for the past 15 years. The idea of paradoxes as a foundation of life as well as human existential dilemmas can be seen in most of my artwork.I believe we need to get away from thinking in terms of either-or and get closer to embracing the paradoxes and thinking in terms of both-and. To heal ourselves and the Earth, I believe we must not only let the light shine, but also allow the shadow to emerge.
The physical realm is... for me the greatest of adversaries, but also the place where the opposites may unite and the soul find its true essence. Some people need to realize their limitless abilities, while some are learning about limitations. I belong to the second category. I also believe that healing one's own shadow-self helps heal the collective shadow of the human race.
My art is... thus not always comforting in character; in fact I feel it might at times be slightly disturbing and often contradictory. I hope this will help the audience think and react to what they see. I do see a wealth of things around me that I do not approve of, and this criticism of our current society does also come through in my artwork. A society that doesn't take care of its weaker member is a decadent society! I am fascinated with human behaviour and how to deal with emotions, and so a lot of that comes through in my work as well.
I believe in and wish to promote
COMPASSION, HONESTY, OPENNESS, TRUTH, AUTHENITCITY, JUSTICE, THE THE ABOLITION OF SECRECY.
IN A MODEST WAY, I ALSO HOPE THAT MY ARTWORK INSPIRES A NEW LOOK AT REALITY AND INSIGHTS ABOUT THE NATURE OF PARADOXES AND AMBIVALENCE.
Survival of the Fittest © 2008
Some writing of mine on the meaning of art here.
