Liisa Kuusela:
Alone With The Moon

Liisa Kuusela: Alone With The Moon (Hall 2)

"The works in this exhibition are inspired by a residency in Tuscany, where I studied historic gardens, church art, and the miraculous light of the Florence area. I visited gardens with histories dating back to the Renaissance. The sound of the fountains and the scent of the citrus trees in the Boboli Gardens have left a lasting impression on my memory.

Walking tours while drawing play an important role in my artistic practice. For me, drawing is a way to pause, explore, and record my observations of the world. During my travels, I filled my sketchbooks with the beginnings of paintings. As I later browse through these sketchbooks, I am transported back to the moments when I drew. I can still smell the incense of the ancient church where I stopped to sketch the mosaic patterns on the floor, and I can feel the mosquitoes nibbling at my neck while I draw the plants in the yard.

When I paint, having these sketchbooks nearby is essential. I draw inspiration from them to continue the paintings, picturing the scenes and feelings they evoke. My creative process is layered and intuitive; I apply colours next to and on top of one another.

The watercolors in this exhibition were painted in Grassina, while the oil paintings were created in my studio in Herttoniemi. The title of the exhibition, "Alone With The Moon", references a poem by Musa McKim that I have often contemplated during my drawing experiences."

Liisa Kuusela (b. 1987) graduated from the Free art school in 2019. "Alone With The Moon" is her seventh solo exhibition. Kuusela primarily works with oil paint and watercolour, and her works are included in the collections of the State of Finland and the Finnish Art Society, as well as in private collections.