Eastern Uusimaa: Aino Ulmanen

07.08.2023 hrs 07:29
Aino Ulmanen's self-built home and garden made of recycled materials is an art experience in itself. The home is in Myrskylä with nature and all kinds of animals around her.

In her studio there are boxes of ash from different types of trees such as birch, maple, alder, and aspen as well as bark, for example. of larch trees. The ashes are created in the fireplace in the living room and in the kitchen.

Aino says the following about her artistic work:“It all started about fifteen years ago when I had a sweeper in my house, and it fell

down different sooty pieces in different shades of colour from the flue. I got an aha-experience and from that day I have painted with these colours that I mix from the ashes I get from the fireplaces in my house. The ash acts as pigment for me. When I produce pigments in this way I warm my house and cook at the same time. I live an environmentally friendly and self-sufficient life. To be able to keep the pigment shades clean I burn each type of tree separately. I then mix the ash with binder acrylic paint.

"Nothing is impossible if you have the will."

The paintings mix different shades of black, grey, and brown. My art is taking a stand with the environment as a theme. The paintings depict natural disasters, storms, tornadoes, and seas. The working method is intuitive and expressive. I actively exhibit in Finland and abroad.

Leena Stoltzman