Jonna Salonen (b.1982)

is an artist living in Joensuu. She graduated from the Imatra University of Applied Sciences in 2007 and from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in 2012. Her art and her way of life are closely related to nature. She enjoys the woods, observing nature and fishing. ‘I am interested in the existence, value and meaning of nature as such and the way it is reflected in humanity’. As materials for her art, Jonna uses branches and pieces of wood that she collects from forests, clear-cut forest sites, shores and streets, and makes small sculptures from them working with knives, axes and engraving tools. On show at the M_itä? Biennale of Contemporary Art at the Kuopio Art Museum will be works by Jonna Salonen that are made of wood and natural materials. In the artist’s hands, the pieces of wood that she has found have been transformed into, plants and animals, among other things. Her works express concern and sadness about the transience of nature, and the importance of nature for life and humanity.

Photos: Harri Heinonen