welcome.
My name is Meri Kukkavaara
I'm a Finland based artist.
I believe that the images surrounding us have a big influence on us, so my paintings have thoughtfully chosen symbols in them.
I love to create symbolic ensembles that work in favor of enhancing our lives.
I paint mostly in large scale, a humming forest surrounding me.
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If you are interested in any of my work, just send a message through "contact" and I will get back to you asap.
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Recent series
My work is very figurative, but the meaning of the images is never obvious.
I love when a painting makes you wonder, and I hope that my symbolic and mythological imagery does just that.
More images of these series will be added, as this one woman show gets to it.
01
Symbolic Trees
These are trees that speak to you through symbols. I’ve studied the use of symbols in art through the ages, as well as modern day symbols, and wanted to create something that would give out empowering messages.
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Imagine having on your wall a painting that you know symbolises courage and love, or power and freedom. I’d say it’s a bit different than looking at something of no meaning, or even worse, an image of destruction or chaos. (I would never have for example a replica of Picasso’s Guernica on my wall, even though I understand the massive significance of that painting.)
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So, I created trees that empower you, remind you of maybe your direction and goals, and speak kindly to you. I have used symbols that are not the most obvious ones, and every painting has written explanations of all the symbols.
02
Mythological Birds
As my roots are deeply in the Nordic soil, I’ve grown up listening to folklore and tales about our mythological foreast animals. I’ve drawn inspiration from that heritage as I created a series of birds that have the power to fly between the two worlds – the upper wolrld and the underworld.
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They each have a story. I didn’t know exactly what the big blue crow would emerge into as I started the painting, but in the process the crow kind of let me know that he is the gatekeeper between the worlds. He is very sharp-eyed and knowing.
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This series was born very intuitively. I had an idea of the bird and its qualities, and then sketched roughly on the canvas and painted quite fast.
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03
Smaller Symbolic Paintings
In addition to the large tree paintings, I created smaller paintings with just a few precise symbols. They remind you e.g. of intuition, wellbeing, new beginnings and rebirth, knowledge and the importance of dreams.