Elina Merenmies: Everything shows

Elina Merenmies is a visual artist working with painting and drawing, and is known for works that combine an expressionistic style and meticulous detail. Their dreamlike world is a mixture of inner visions and real events. Merenmies’ deep relationship with nature and empathy for all living things are reflected in her choice of subject matter. Close-ups of human faces are a central and recurring theme, while mystical forests, trees, branches and roots are a constant source of fascination for the artist.

Orthodoxy is an important and defining aspect of Merenmies’ life. In her daily life, her faith manifests as daily prayers, reading the biographies of the saints of the Orthodox Church, painting icons and attending church. During her many years abroad, she had the chance to explore the art treasures and cultural history of Europe. References to art history and religious imagery are indeed an integral part of her artistic expression.

Merenmies describes her process as dual: There is the slow and calm way of working, which allows her to immerse herself in the details, and then the fast-paced way, during which the artwork is created quickly. She has also described herself as very pedantic. Paying attention to the details of the works requires time and concentration, which is also rewarding for the viewer.

The exhibition, produced by Turku Art Museum, consists of paintings and drawings from the artist’s own collection as well as from private and public collections, completed over the past decade. For the first time in a long time, this solo exhibition offers the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of Merenmies’ art.

Elina Merenmies (b. 1967, Espoo) lives and works in Helsinki. In her work, she uses tempera, oil and ink. Her artworks have been showcased regularly since the 90s in both Finland and abroad. In 2007 she was nominated for the Ars Fennica Prize. Merenmies’ works are included in private collections and many prominent Nordic public collections, at for instance ARKEN, The Gothenburg Museum of Art, Uppsala Art Museum, the Finnish National Gallery, Sara Hildén Art Museum and Turku Art Museum. In addition to her work as an artist, Merenmies has taught painting at the Academy of Fine Arts and worked as the headmaster of the Free art school since 2020.

The exhibition is supported by the Finnish Heritage Agency. The artist’s work is supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland and the Finnish Cultural Foundation.