The Opening of the INGRESS Exhibition

I recently had a fantastic opening of my solo exhibition, INGRESS, at the Akvarelli Ateljee Espoo. It was great to see so many visitors from around the world. As a symbolist artist, I deeply connect with my paintings. My approach to symbolism is different; rather than consciously placing symbols on the paper, I first paint and then analyze the artwork, allowing a big part of my work to come from my subconscious mind. This is why I feel the need to share the story behind each art piece. None of my artworks is purely visual; there is always a story behind it. It was interesting to see that many visitors could understand what my paintings meant. I aim for an emotional response from the viewer and believe that any emotional response is good, as it signifies that the art has made an impact. It is the essence of art. However, negative comments about my pieces deeply affect me because my art is very personal; it reflects my emotions and thoughts that may not always be at the surface. Despite my initial fear, I was heartened to see the positive reactions from each pair of eyes that lit up upon viewing my paintings. I often paint eyes in my art, as there is a beautiful phrase: "Eyes are the mirror of the soul." For me, the soul is the world. Each time I saw a visitor's eyes light up, I felt that I had successfully shown them my world.

I would like to thank Nude Cider and Flow Bar for sponsoring the opening. It was great fun, and their ciders are definitely number one in Finland.