Atelier Insights #7: Maaria Jokimies

MJ: My current studio is a semi-basement with two rooms, the smaller of which is a storage room, and a small toilet. I have my own entrance, so the space feels like my own private painting cave. The building is old and the poor ventilation is a bit bad for my asthmatic lungs, but airing out the room has worked, at least so far. I live a 10-minute walk away, so I’ve managed well without a kitchen.

MJ: I love oil paint, its versatility and long workability. I’ve created my latest series of paintings by first applying an orange-toned paint surface, and of top of that I’ve painted the most important areas using the wet-on-wet technique. I work really intensively for 3-4 days while the base is still wet, so that each color more or less blends into the base tones, creating a kind of feverish atmosphere in the painting. After this, I continue to add drier layers.

MJ: The works always feel a little different in different spaces, as the environment and lighting naturally affect them. My previous workspace was intended as an office with neat common areas, the current one has more rougher and warmer atmosphere, also literally, as the lighting is a little more yellow. In my works, I often deal with the presence of the past in the present through a kind of vintage aesthetic, and with the new workspace, my works also ended up with some clearer references to different eras of art history. Although it’s difficult to say at this stage how much the work environment actually played a role in this, I find the process supported by the fact that the space also contains layers from different eras. Overall the vibe of the space feels very good for future paintings!