Lux Anima - Art by Emmi-Riikka Vartiainen

Emmi-Riikka Vartiainen is a visual artist originally from Juankoski who later settled in Rautalampi. Following a career as a graphic designer and illustrator abroad, she turned towards the calling of fine art, accompanied by a renewed longing for nature. This exhibition brings together acrylic paintings created over the past four years, offering a glimpse into the early stages of her artistic practice.

Vartiainen’s work explores the subtle mysticism of the layered human experience, where inner and outer worlds meet. Light and shadow serve as recurring elements through which she examines presence, emotion and the shifting boundaries between the visible and the unseen. Alongside these more universal themes, the works are rooted at times in familiar local landscapes, where nature becomes both a physical setting and a space for contemplation.