Inside Eeva-Riitta Eerola's must-see 'Locus' exhibition at Helsinki Contemporary

Focusing on specific forms, artist Eeva-Riitta Eerola's new exhibition Locus encourages viewers to build their own language and to form interpretations of space and time. “It's important for me to work in means that are essential for a painting or means that you can only achieve through a painting,” she explains. “The medium is one of the topics of my work.”

Artists like Hugo Gerhard Simberg, René Magritte and others that operate in the symbolistic space caught Eerola’s eye. Growing up in Central Finland, a deep connection with her creative side was established early. “I was one of those children that are in their own mind, especially when I was drawing”, she recalls. “I was in this bubble, I had a strong sense of this inner world.”

While she continued to draw, painting would become a main discipline. Through studies at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in 2010, she also pursued exchange studies at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-arts de Paris. Exhibiting as part of a group and solo, exhibitions have so far taken her around Finland and further afield.

The strong inner world experienced as a child is a key force in her success as a visual artist. Working with abstract and figurative elements, the Helsinki-based painter’s inspiration for this exhibition came during a visit to Florence. The picturesque Italian city was the perfect setting for appreciating frescos by Fra Angelico made 600 years ago, at Museo Nazionale di San Marco. While they provided her with powerful creative food for thought, Eerola also recognised their potential as sensory and analytical drivers.

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Her interest in art history and Renaissance made for an enticing museum visit. “As a painter it’s important to be aware of the tradition, and through that create your own means of working as a painter, see what new conversations you can bring to that medium. For me, early Renaissance is fascinating, having already seen images of these frescos, I already knew I was interested.”

Portraying the process of making art interests Eerola. If the creative challenge of referencing themes derived from Angelico’s frescos and applying them in her own exhibition seemed daunting at first, it became easier as she went along. “The road to figuring out why you end up working on an exhibition process is long,” she admits. “It was a bit of a struggle in the beginning, but you find the means as you discover how to transform your visuality to specific questions.”

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The aptitude for probing questions through art is reflected in paintings at Locus. Consisting of three parts, the use of unprimed canvas increases nuance and a more minimal approach, while allowing the application of fine coats, which then offers scope for individual interpretation.

“I'm really into sensitive material and the use of thin layers of paint, though more bold gestures were used for painting hairs with oil paint. Working with these methods gives me different ways of creating transparent or layered parts in the painting, and the canvas is like one layer in itself, a route to exploring how the image feels.”

Although the influence of digital technology and social platforms are changing the way visual art is seen, Eerola doesn’t want these trends to replace the buzz and excitement gained when you attend exhibitions. “It’s important to remember to experience art in person”, she enthuses. “Some art works perfectly online, or is made for that purpose, but it’s good to have this tangible feeling of the material and experiencing it in person.