Elsa Salonen

Still Life with Flowers (from Pink to Red)Elsa Salonen, Still Life with Flowers (from Pink to Red), a decoloured flower bouquet and its distilled colour pigments, isomalt, glass, metal, cement (The artist extracted colours from the different flowers of a bouquet (chinese delphiniums, alpine delphiniums, eucalyptus, safflowers, and roses), leaving the plants pale and colourless. The distilled colour pigments were then conserved in transparent isomalt and displayed in glass bottles alongside the white bouquet.), 150 cm x 150 cm x 30 cm ,2022-2023. Photo: Joe Clark.

Pyhästä lehdosta vuodatettu väriElsa Salonen, Pyhästä lehdosta vuodatettu väri, stones, animal bones, plants, and mushrooms collected from the Finnish forests, colours distilled or ground from them, glass, metal (From the forests of Southwest Finland, the artist collected stones, animal bones, plants, and mushrooms. From the collected materials Salonen distilled or ground colours with which she then painted the glasses. In Finnish folklore, the forest has been a sacred place for enjoying festive meals and sacrificing to the sprites of the woods. In 1229, Pope Gregory IX of Rome legitimised the sacred forests used for pagan worship as the property of the Church of Finland. Sacred trees were cut down until the 19th century, and many of the oldest churches in Southwest Finland were founded on or near sacred groves - places that were used to being experienced as holy. The title in Finnish, ‘Pyhästä lehdosta vuodatettu väri’, Colour Shed from the Holy Grove, is a wordplay; ‘väri’ meaning colour, and ‘veri’ meaning blood.), 300 cm x 400 cm x 30 cm ,2021-2022. Photo: Joe Clark.

Pyhästä lehdosta vuodatettu väriElsa Salonen, Pyhästä lehdosta vuodatettu väri, detail, 300 cm x 400 cm x 30 cm ,2021-2022. Photo: Joe Clark.

Pyhästä lehdosta vuodatettu väriElsa Salonen, Pyhästä lehdosta vuodatettu väri, stones, animal bones, plants, and mushrooms collected from the Finnish forests, colours distilled or ground from them, glass, metal (From the forests of Southwest Finland, the artist collected stones, animal bones, plants, and mushrooms. From the collected materials Salonen distilled or ground colours with which she then painted the glasses.), 300 cm x 400 cm x 30 cm ,2021-2022. Photo: Joe Clark.

Still Life with Flowers (from Pink to Red), detailElsa Salonen, Still Life with Flowers (from Pink to Red), detail, a decoloured flower bouquet and its distilled colour pigments, isomalt, glass, metal, cement (The artist extracted colours from the different flowers of a bouquet (chinese delphiniums, alpine delphiniums, eucalyptus, safflowers, and roses), leaving the plants pale and colourless. The distilled colour pigments were then conserved in transparent isomalt and displayed in glass bottles alongside the white bouquet.), 150 cm x 150 cm x 30 cm ,2022-2023. Photo: Joe Clark.

Still Life with Flowers (Separation Funnels)Elsa Salonen, Still Life with Flowers (Separation Funnels), a decoloured flower bouquet and its distilled colour pigments, isomalt, glass, metal, cement (The artist extracted colours from the different flowers of a bouquet (chinese delphiniums, alpine delphiniums, eucalyptus, safflowers, and roses), leaving the plants pale and colourless. The distilled colour pigments were then conserved in transparent isomalt and displayed in glass bottles alongside the white bouquet.), 150 cm x 140 cm x 30 cm ,2023. Photo: Joe Clark.

Still Life with Flowers (Separation Funnels), detailElsa Salonen, Still Life with Flowers (Separation Funnels), detail, a decoloured flower bouquet and its distilled colour pigments, isomalt, glass, metal, cement (The artist extracted colours from the different flowers of a bouquet (chinese delphiniums, alpine delphiniums, eucalyptus, safflowers, and roses), leaving the plants pale and colourless. The distilled colour pigments were then conserved in transparent isomalt and displayed in glass bottles alongside the white bouquet.), 150 cm x 140 cm x 30 cm ,2023. Photo: Joe Clark.

Elsa Salonen, Study of Eternal CycleElsa Salonen, Elsa Salonen, Study of Eternal Cycle, a decoloured rose and its distilled colour pigments, glass, metal, light (The artist distilled colours from the petals and leaves of a red rose, leaving the plant pale and colourless. Using the strong red pigments of the petals and the weaker, yellowish pigments of the leaves, the artist painted three rounded laboratory glasses. In the exhibition space, a spotlight illuminates the painted glasses, reflecting the colours back to the white rose, making it once more appear vivid and red.), Dimensions variable cm ,2014. Photo: Jere Salonen.

Elsa Salonen, Everything Vanishes, Except Life ItselfElsa Salonen, Elsa Salonen, Everything Vanishes, Except Life Itself, decoloured roses and delphiniums, their distilled colour pigments, acrylic glass, glass (The artist distilled colours from red roses and blue delphiniums, leaving the plants pale and colourless. Using only these extracted colours, she painted a splash of colour on a table. The white flower bouquet is shown in a glass vessel next to the painting.), 60 cm x 100 cm x 100 cm ,2014. Photo: Jere Salonen.

Veden väelleElsa Salonen, Veden väelle, natural elements collected from the Finnish Baltic Sea and its shores, colours distilled or ground from them, glasshouse, glass, silver, lights (For the installation, various natural elements were collected from the Finnish Baltic Sea and its shores; such as algae, aquatic plants, seawater, seabed sand and pieces of cliffs as well as shells and fish bones which had drifted onto the beach. From the collected materials the artist distilled or ground colours with which she then painted the walls of a glasshouse. The remaining algae were dried, powdered and used to create the symmetric pattern in the middle of the installation. ‘Veden väelle’ (For the Water Sprites) is dedicated to the ancient sea sprites. According to Finnish mythology, each natural environment is governed by its own sprite, who guards the region affecting its well-being and prosperity. To ensure good fishing fortune various offerings, such as silver, were brought to the mighty Water Sprites.), 350 cm x 260 cm x 260 cm ,2019. Photo: Joe Clark.

Veden väelle, detailElsa Salonen, Veden väelle, detail, natural elements collected from the Finnish Baltic Sea and its shores, colours distilled or ground from them, glasshouse, glass, silver, lights, 350 cm x 260 cm x 260 cm ,2019. Photo: Joe Clark.

Veden VäelleElsa Salonen, Veden Väelle, natural elements collected from the Finnish Baltic Sea and its shores, colours distilled or ground from them, glasshouse, glass, silver, lights (For the installation, various natural elements were collected from the Finnish Baltic Sea and its shores; such as algae, aquatic plants, seawater, seabed sand and pieces of cliffs as well as shells and fish bones which had drifted onto the beach. From the collected materials the artist distilled or ground colours with which she then painted the walls of a glasshouse. The remaining algae were dried, powdered and used to create the symmetric pattern in the middle of the installation. ‘Veden väelle’ (For the Water Sprites) is dedicated to the ancient sea sprites. According to Finnish mythology, each natural environment is governed by its own sprite, who guards the region affecting its well-being and prosperity. To ensure good fishing fortune various offerings, such as silver, were brought to the mighty Water Sprites.), 350 cm x 260 cm x 260 cm ,2019. Photo: Joe Clark.

Influence of the Moon on Bodies of WaterElsa Salonen, Influence of the Moon on Bodies of Water, seashells, coral skeletons, and limestone collected from various shores on glass, metal shelves (works painted at different stages of the lunar cycle), a series of eight painting 35 cm x 25 cm x 5 cm ,2020. Photo: -.

Influence of the Moon on Bodies of WaterElsa Salonen, Influence of the Moon on Bodies of Water, seashells, coral skeletons, and limestone collected from various shores on glass, metal shelves (works painted at different stages of the lunar cycle). (Limestone, seashells, and pieces of dead corals drifted ashore at the northern and southern seas were collected at different times of the tide. From the collected materials the artist ground pigments with which she painted an adaptation of old alchemical illustrations on glass; a female figure with a lunar head inside of a flask. Each work in the series is painted at a different stage of the lunar cycle; a painting depicting the full moon at the time of the full moon, a painting depicting the new moon at the time of the new moon, etc. The moon controls the movements of the tides, and in Finnish folklore, it also defined the lives of the people. The different stages of the lunar cycle influenced the choice of a favourable time to do different jobs. Also in alchemy, the correct position of the celestial bodies was essential for the success of the working phase.), 35 cm x 25 cm x 5 cm ,2020. Photo: -.

Buni Buana (Hidden World)Elsa Salonen, Buni Buana (Hidden World), natural elements collected from Indonesia and colours distilled or ground from them, glass, transparent acrylic paint, LED lights, 100 cm x 180 cm x 480 cm ,2014-2015. Photo: Jere Salonen.

Elsa Salonen, We Are All Made of Stardust (Northern Hemisphere), detailstone and iron meteorite dust on glass (Stone and iron meteorites were finely crushed into dusts. From stone meteorites, achondrites and chondrites, an ocher brownish dust was crushed, whereas from iron meteorites, pallasites and mesosiderites, a dark gray dust was crushed. With the meteorite dusts the artist painted various animal, plant, and human figures from 17th-century star atlas illustrations of constellations on glass), 2017, 100x245 cm

We Are All Made of Stardust (Northern Hemisphere)Elsa Salonen, We Are All Made of Stardust (Northern Hemisphere), stone and iron meteorite dust on glass (Stone and iron meteorites were finely crushed into dusts. From stone meteorites, achondrites and chondrites, an ocher brownish dust was crushed, whereas from iron meteorites, pallasites and mesosiderites, a dark gray dust was crushed. With the meteorite dusts the artist painted various animal, plant, and human figures from 17th-century star atlas illustrations of constellations on glass), 100 cm x 245 cm ,2017. Photo: Björn Siebert.

Elsa Salonen, I Dive in the Ocean as in a Prayerochres, plastic debris and sea salt collected from the shores of the Caribbean Sea - Colombia, alum crystal on glass (From the Colombian beaches of the Caribbean Sea, the artist collected ochres and plastic debris drifted ashore. These materials she ground into pigments that were used, together with sea salt and alum, to paint an underwater landscape of a bleaching coral reef on glass), 2021, dimensions variable, here 180x250 cm