The atmosphere present in Hanna Vuorenmaa’s art emerges during the act of painting: rather than starting with a clear vision of the final outcome, she allows for thought and reflection throughout the process. Her work is deeply rooted in observation, and she paints both directly from still life and from memory. Vuorenmaa is particularly interested in how observation sensitises one to the infinite nuances of light and shadow. Inspiration for a painting can be derived from something as ethereal as the experience of witnessing a fleeting moment of sublime sunlight shining through her window. She often works with different shades of grey, and mainly uses tempera in her paintings. 

The construction of still lifes plays an important role in Vuorenmaa’s practice, as these carry a personal and autobiographical meaning for her. She spends significant amounts of time arranging her motifs in ways that have a slightly strange and humorous feel to them. There is often symbolism to be found in Vuorenmaa’s still lifes, although this is seldom consciously constructed. Items such as balancing keys and dried flowers represent both the objects themselves as well as the artist’s inner world. However, Vuorenmaa does not aim for realistic depiction, even when working from still life. The point is not to exactly reproduce that which she sees, but to examine the relationship between presence and absence.

Text written by Helen Korpak 2025

Photo: Virppi Sysilehto