Tuomas Aitamurto
A painter from Helsinki, Finland:
I have always loved imaginery worlds. I grew up drawing and sketching something that exists between the real and surreal. Painting is a way for me to navigate and articulate the every day world around me as well as my own inner world. My work explores philosophical themes, memories and the modern human experience. For me the most natural way to portray these themes is through symbolism. My main goal in painting is that the viewer can encounter something personal in the work, and also find their own meanings and interpretations in them. Perhaps an emotion or an echo of a memory that they have not previously been able to articulate. My creative process begins with a few carefully chosen key ideas. I am by nature a slow and patient painter. My main mediums are oil paints, acrylics, watercolours and tempera. In my recent work I am interested in exploring mixed media, where I use two or more painting techniques in one piece. Different materials play a really important role for me in my work. I prefer make the painting canvases for almost all my works myself. During a long and deliberate period of work, I study the subject matter of each piece in more detail, and delve deeper into the media, literature and history associated with it. I keep a record of my findings, and do not try to rush my work. For me, the process of painting reminds me of times when I went outside on adventures as a child. It’s a highly rewarding and a joyful process that keeps my mind constantly open to new possibilities all around me.