Hi and spring greetings from the studio!

Hi and spring greetings from the studio! I have closed my poster shop on Shopify due to the general economic downturn, and I am returning once again to original paintings and grassroots work. Perhaps someday in the future I will reopen it in a different format, but for now I am focusing on painting the works for my next solo exhibition; the theme deals with ageing and the gaze. My available works can be found at Gallery G12 in Helsinki.

I have been processing a great deal about the meaning of marketing for an artist. The lifeline seems to be visibility in social media and the public eye. I have been boycotting Instagram due to its political connections and Meta, and have moved to the Pixelfed.Social platform. From a marketing perspective it is still a growing and evolving community, but its essential strengths relate above all to community, freedom and algorithm-free autonomy. Paradoxical. I think about marketing because it brings more visibility, possibly more recognition and through that more financial benefit. And yet I want to be left in peace, in the shadows, working on my art – because fame as an end in itself is not in line with my own values.

It feels as though right now many things are in a state of upheaval, not only in world politics but also in people's own private lives. I notice myself eagerly trying new things, such as technology and artificial intelligence, but then I ALWAYS return to the starting point. No AI writes my blog posts better than I do (I have tried), no algorithm brings breath and soul to my works, and I do not long for the kind of fame or recognition that tomorrow – or six hours from now – is already gone and old. I want sustainability, I seek reality and some kind of inner truth. I do not know if I can articulate my thoughts in a way that makes sense to you, but I am doing my best.

I have been very passive in the media lately. I have been thinking, reflecting, reading, spending time in nature and painting. I understand well that the world today operates by certain rules, but I have always been a little rebellious. AI too is a useful tool, but it cannot be allowed to govern everything. Perhaps at some point I will withdraw from the hectic pace of the world, simply paint alone, and one day my estate will wonder what on earth to do with all these works… A smile. So I am currently searching for some kind of balance between being and doing. An old soul in an ageing body.

Thank you for your time. I would love to hear your own thoughts or reflections on the same theme. Take care and enjoy the sunny spring, Hanna ❤️