Field Review | Artist Interview Series
In conversation with
Elviira Elo
Elviira Elo (1998) is a visual artist based in Helsinki, Finland. Her relationship with art began early in childhood, growing up through different art schools, where creation became a lifelong practice. However, that relationship was interrupted when Elo fell ill with a chronic illness that left her bedbound for several years. Fortunately she was able to redefine her connection to creativity, and found her artistic voice, turning a difficult experience into a strength.
Elo works primarily with oil pastels and mixed media. She has spent years developing her visual language that is rooted in close observation of the natural world – its structures, movement and light – which she then translates into compositions that hover between figuration and abstraction. Her work has been shown in group and solo exhibitions across Helsinki, and she has received support in the form of scholarships.
Art has been an important resource when battling a chronic illness. Turning this difficult life event into something beautiful, Elo found a way to “create through her soul” and turn creation into a spiritual practice and a tool for personal growth.
From:
Finland
Artist Statement
Elviira Elo’s practice begins in nature and moves inward. A piece often starts with something seen outdoors: organic forms and textures or the interplay of light and shadow. She then explores both the outer world and her inner landscape through painting. Bold, intuitive color and a strong sense of movement are characteristic for her work.
Central to Elo's process is what she calls "creating through the soul": a method that prioritizes the movements within, rather than the outcome. Attuning to intuition and quieting the inner critic are not just creative tools but the work itself. She follows the process, rather than guiding it. For Elo being an artist is a lifetime purpose of making a difference in the world: helping people to connect better with themselves, each other and the world around us.
Tell us about yourself and your artistic background.
I'm a 28-year-old artist based in Helsinki. I've been creating since childhood — first at home, then through Helsinki Artist's Association's art school, and later at Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Visual Arts.
Through my childhood I could often be found in my room, with pen and paper in front of me, creating some new world, creature or other idea. In adolescence my creation turned into performance to get approval. I still enjoyed art, but my motives were wrong. That changed completely when I found abstract art and color — I fell in love with the process itself, with boldness, and I stopped craving acceptance from others nearly as much as I craved loving my own work.
Today I work mainly with oil pastels and mixed media, and next year I'll begin studying at a university of applied sciences to formally become a visual artist.
How would you describe your artistic practice?
I work primarily with oil pastels and mixed media. I often start sketching a new piece from something I've seen outside — a texture, a shape, a movement that intrigues me. I begin by mimicking it on paper, and from there I let the pen guide me and see where it goes, rather than deciding in advance where the piece should end up. Organic forms, textures, light and shadow, and a bold, intuitive use of color come together in compositions that sit somewhere between figuration and abstraction.
With every piece, I move through the same phases — inspiration, excitement, self-doubt, letting go, and acceptance — and each time, I learn a little more about trusting myself and loosening my grip on ego. My practice is as much about unlearning control as it is about making finished pieces.
What themes or ideas are most important in your work?
My love and connection to nature is what drives me. It serves as a starting point for exploring both the outer world and my inner landscape.
I'm especially drawn to how much detail nature holds that most people never notice: the texture of tree bark, the life inside a patch of moss. Sketching outdoors helps me see this: if you sit and stare at something long enough, you start noticing the small creatures moving and the details you missed at first glance. Through my work, I hope to invite viewers to explore nature with all their senses, and to see something of themselves in it too.
For me creation is a form of spiritual practice. With every painting I challenge myself to grow both as an artist but as a person as well. Facing my fears and other uncomfortable feelings is an integral part of my practice. With every piece I learn to accept and let go of control.
What inspires your creative process?
I call my process "creating through the soul." The focus isn't on the outcome, but on the movements within — attuning to intuition and quieting my inner critic. I love getting lost in the movement of a painting; following the lines brings me to a meditative state where my mind quiets and I become pure creation.
I choose my color palette intuitively too — sometimes the colors don't make sense right away, but I've learned to trust that instinct.
I often think of Picasso's quote: "It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child." It captures the thought of finding again something we slowly lose during childhood. This is what creating through the soul is all about.
Can you tell us about a recent artwork or project?
Self Portraits of Mother Earth explores the relationship between humans and nature through a series of works in which Mother Earth appears as a conscious being. The exhibition examines our connection to nature from both sides of the coin — its flourishing and its decay — and, through these, the destruction of nature itself.
In the works, I act as a channel for Mother Earth's voice and experiences. Through her, the viewer is invited to explore the inner world of Mother Nature and is guided ever deeper into the different qualities of nature. The forgotten aspects of nature — strength and sensitivity, surface and depth — are brought to light, reminding the viewer of nature's diversity. Finally, Mother Earth lets out a cry for help and reveals her greatest sacrifice: her fate in the hands of humankind.
The project was a challenging one, since I wasn't just painting nature from the outside, but trying to let her voice come through me.
What challenges have influenced your development as an artist?
I fell ill with a chronic illness and became bedbound for several years. I lost the ability to go outside, and this is what made my love for nature so clear. I also lost my ability to create.
When I was finally able to paint again, I found abstract art. When painting was taken away from me, it became my priority not to perform but to enjoy it. I began to explore my artistic voice in a new way. While spending all my time inside four walls, art gave me a new way to connect with nature. Art has been a form of occupational therapy for me and it has helped me calm down my nervous system.
When I was bedbound, my priorities changed drastically. After losing everything, including a chunk of my time in this life, I realized I'm not willing to waste my time trying to impress anyone other than myself. Even from bed, I worked intensely toward my dream of becoming a visual artist.
What role does art play in your life today?
Art has helped me to accept myself. With creating through the soul, I get to see inside myself in a way I otherwise can't. It has helped me see parts of myself I've found somehow wrong or ugly — and to accept them and learn to embrace them.
Right now, art is also my rehabilitation — I'm preparing to start full-time art studies at a university of applied sciences next year, and my creative practice is a key part to get there.
What are you currently working on?
For the past few weeks, I've been working on an exhibition with the theme of flow. It will include around ten paintings, and an approach that is completely new to me. I will work with oil pastels to create a flow of movement that can be experienced by the viewer and myself while creating. I want to explore something unseen in this world through this series of paintings.
I want to find new ways to relate to my art, and I see this project as an opportunity to grow as an artist. Each piece challenges me in a new way. A sense of movement is at the center of this series. I'm also increasing the painting size in order to make a more professional whole and to be able to exhibit in bigger galleries.
What are your future goals as an artist?
My biggest goal is to be able to start my studies next year, and I’m working hard to achieve that with the help of my physiotherapists. In school I wait to explore different techniques I can use in my creative expression.
This upcoming year I will work on my artistic growth, and one part of it is to start making bigger paintings. This will also help to be able to exhibit in bigger galleries in the future.
Where can readers follow your work?
You can follow my artistic journey on Instagram: @elviiraelo and check my latest projects and upcoming exhibitions on my portfolio: elviiraelo.wixsite.com/portfolio
