Six questions for
Elsa Salonen

How do you describe your own art practice?

My practice draws on the traditions of painting, installation, and conceptual art. In the early 2010s, I developed a technique in which I distil colours from flowers, leaving them pale and colourless. The extracted colour pigments I preserve in various ways and display them alongside the white flowers. The technique is based on a notion that most organisms, both in the plant and the animal world, seem to lose their colours in death – flowers wither and bodies blanch. Thus, all the colours in nature signal the presence of a living force. In my three-dimensional paintings, the result is a poetic separation of the life energy (preserved colour) from its empty, pale body (decoloured flower).

In addition, for the last decade, I have painted exclusively on glass with natural pigments, which define the conceptual message of each work. I prepare the pigments for my artworks by grinding a wide variety of raw materials, such as meteorites, animal bones and seashells, as well as by extracting colours from medicinal herbs, mushrooms and algae. Each material holds unique knowledge. I view the pigments as collaborators whose individual ‘experiences’ define the conceptual message of the artwork. Through the self-collected materials, many of the themes connect to a certain natural site around the world, wherein the more universal themes are addressed with unique materials collected with the help of specialists.

Which question or theme is central in your work?

In the broader context, I aim to embrace both the spiritual and intellectual aspects of being human to explore profound existential questions such as the mystery of life and death as well as the interconnectedness, and the continuity of nature’s cycles.

More specifically, my works are marked by the artistic interpretation of alchemy, which explores the universe through natural materials, and animism, especially the Finnish nature worship. What alchemy and animism have in common is the perception of all surrounding nature as living and sensing. In Finnish nature worship, each natural environment is believed to be governed by a sprite that guards the region, influencing its well-being and prosperity. For our ancestors, maintaining a balanced relationship with these nature sprites through offerings was essential for ensuring good hunting, fishing, and harvesting.

In turn, medieval alchemists studied natural materials, which they also used to make colours. Through the materials, they sought to understand the surrounding universe as well as the interconnectedness of everything in the cosmos and the individual’s role among all others; oneself. The glass vessels I use in my works refer to this alchemical tradition and its illustrations. One of the most important steps in alchemy was repeated distillation, which left the purest essence of the substance – and the alchemist – in the glass flask.

What was your first experience with art?

My first vivid memory of Fine Art comes from around the age of six or seven when I discovered my mum’s book on Gustav Klimt. I still recall the strong impact that the painted skulls and the ageing figures had on me. For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by the mystery of life and death, and as a child, Klimt’s paintings spoke directly to that philosophical side of me. “This is the most precious thing a human being can do”, I remember having thought.

What is your greatest source of inspiration?

Daily meditation is crucial for me, among many other things it helps me hear my true voice and maintain a healthy priority list. Another vital aspect for me is regular time spent in nature. Especially, the weeks I spend in the Finnish forests nurture me and my inspiration. Also, constant reading on themes that resonate with my practice is essential, especially alchemical books and texts that describe the rituals that my ancestors practised in the same forests that are so dear to me now. I’m also inspired by Gothic architecture, colour theories and houseplants, to name a few. Staying updated on colleagues’ works and current topics is important too; it both inspires me a lot and helps to avoid popular styles or trends.

What do you need in order to create your work?

The obvious – health, time, space, materials – are necessary for me to create any artwork. To be satisfied with the quality of the work I need to ensure to take care of all these factors. For example, establishing reasonable deadlines is crucial to maintaining high-quality artwork –something I feel is often overlooked in the art world.

Nurturing my inspiration, as mentioned earlier, is key as well. Beyond that, it’s important for me to have friends, loved ones, and hobbies unrelated to the art scene. It prevents me from becoming blind to the bubble surrounding our field. I believe an artwork is truly strong when it simultaneously resonates with both someone well-versed in contemporary art as well as someone who may not know what a museum is.

What work or artist has most recently surprised you?

A couple of days ago we returned from Gambia where we were visiting my partner’s family. There I saw two beautiful, old-painted walls that reminded me of decaying Italian frescos –or rather they resembled contemporary abstract paintings in the process of ageing. I loved them! And the entire trip for sure!