DRAFT FILLER TEXT As a Finn, the habit of wandering in the forests, gathering seasonal edible harvest and small organic treasures, is in my blood. Now a migrant, living and working in a big city, I’ve realised I still approach my urban environment as if walking in nature. Local “foraging” for discarded small things on the pavements and laneways; photographing weather phenomena and following how gardens blossom and surfaces gradually rust, create a deeply craved connection with the natural world.
In addition, walking is a meditative, grounding practice. Moving at a human pace calms down the mind while allowing the whole body to sense through sounds, scents, touch and the rhythm of steps and stops, often bringing intuitive solutions to creative problems. This regular moving around builds an intimate relationship with my neighbourhood, fostering a sense of home; of belonging to the geographic area and to the local community.
Observing and documenting the same area over a long period of time also builds larger, foundational arcs of understanding: the reviewing of my collection of images, memories and found objects illuminates my own inner landscapes as an artist, revealing how I see and think, pointing a way forward. Understanding the inevitable change that time brings to everything is also a beautiful reminder of adaptation, acceptance and letting go; of surrendering to the whole, to what is.
I’ve wanted to illuminate detail, colour and form beyond any classification; to point to how, by carefully inspecting what’s before us, an unexpected beauty of the most ordinary materials may begin to shine through, sparking new insights and connections. When we look carefully, beauty is everywhere.