Armi Heikkinen

My artistic approach is meditative in response to climate change and the suffering nature endures as a result of human activity. For many years, this theme has called to me: how can we explore this extraordinary yet vulnerable universe? How can we better understand its fragility? My intention is to transform “still life” into living nature. The chosen materials—dried leaves, bark, wood, recycled paper, and wool—embody this metamorphosis. They become sensitive matter, witnesses to a cycle of disappearance and renewal. My textile works invite viewers to see nature as living art deserving of greater respect. Details of trees, branches, and leaves evolve into abstract silhouettes. Dried leaves turn into “fossilized” jewelry, and tree stumps become three-dimensional creations. Bark and moss merge into almost fantastical forms. Even so-called weeds, such as Rumex, are transformed into dramatic “divas.” Through these works, I invite a renewed gaze upon the natural world and an acknowledgment of its fragile beauty.