Forest

pins and detritus on wall, 18" x20" x12", 2012, NFS

Temporary installation on wall offering visitors the sensations of walking in a forest

I work in participatory installation, public art, sculpture, painting and neon. I encourage audiences to feel my work through multiple senses, not just sight.
I repurpose found materials and employ simple construction techniques, focusing viewers on concept and meaning rather than technique.
My background in biology underlies my art; previous artworks have focused on coral reefs, butterfly fight, birdsong, water patterns, galaxies, Covid-19, and lichens. I maintain a studio at #106, at ArtSpaceKaplan in Seattle’s Pioneer Square district.

As the daughter of immigrants I absorbed the Finnish cultural reverence for nature that permeates my art. I enjoy the challenges and serendipity of using natural and repurposed materials in my work.
After studying biology and then teaching fiber arts for several years in Geneva, Switzerland, I moved to Seattle in 1976 and committed full-time to my art.
I see my art practice a an analogue of the scientific method: an experimental approach to collaborating with the world and an open-ended, empirical way of seeking meaning in our embodied lives.