RETURN TO THE ROOTS- TARJA HEILIMO

Return to the Roots is my first solo exhibition in my birth city, from which I ventured into the world at the age of three.

Over the decades, I have maintained close connections with my father’s family, both in Pori and Lavia—after all, my godfather was the late market hall trader Ilmari Holmlund.

I am skilled in two professions (and often caught in the crossfire of both): I am a printmaker and an occupational health nurse. I studied at the Imatra School of Fine Arts in the 1980s. I work at the printmaking studio of the South Karelia Artists’ Association, located in the historic Lappeenranta Fortress, and I live by Lake Saimaa in Vehkataipale, Taipalsaari.

In my works, I use the woodcut technique that traveled from China and Japan to Europe along with the development of printing. The image is carved onto plywood and printed on Japanese paper.

I create large-scale color woodcuts because I want to carve the plate with my whole body. I am fascinated by the layered nature of an image. My expression is expressive—I do not seek to depict what is seen. A sketch is an invitation to an adventure, where moments of victory and defeat alternate.

I search for the roots of life, for the spiritual home of humankind. Messengers and angels speak of it. The courtship dance, lizards, and the water lilies of Lavikka Bay lead the way to nature’s primal book.

Life is a journey. The longest and often the most winding path leads within.

This text was created with AI assistance