The project explores the effects of visual silence on the creative process as a way to remove expectations and pressures from the creative practice. The result is a series of paintings and thrown ceramic figures made with eyes closed. Inspired by the dark forests of Karelia, in my mind’s eye, I could see the ancient spirits of Karelian folklore dancing between the trees as I worked without my sight. I explored our lost connection to nature, a place we once called home but are now merely quests in, through folk stories and poems that were once used as a way of worship and warning, but are now getting lost as the old traditions slowly fade away.
The name of the work, Riidenliekoja, refers to a phenomenon of unexplained lights appearing in the dark forests. These lights were believed to mark areas where the spirits and entities of nature pass through into our realm. The paintings, poems and ceramic figures serve as these ancient lights, bringing glimpses of what used to be into our modern realm, reminding us of a connection that was once there.
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