matilda palmu

These Flower Creatures were at Purkutaide Ihmemaa X exhibition at Kerava in 2024. I painted a room full of these fantasy creatures. But the history of these creatures starts earlier.

Flower Creatures came to my life a few years ago when I was stuck at home during the first covid spring and the weight of the world felt heavy on my shoulders. There were already some traces of them in my previous artworks but I wasn’t sure what they were until they took their final form and I started painting and drawing them everywhere. Suddenly my sketchbook was full of these creatures, they kept appearing to my paintings, my surface patterns, my exhibitions, my textiles, they were on the pages of the Salarakas zine and in the streets of Helsinki, one of them even ended up to decorate my skin. First I was puzzled; what are they and where they come from? It seemed that they have a mind of their own and I’m just a gateway from which they are stepping into this reality.

The roots of the Flower Creatures lies my dreams. Ever since I was a child I have had a very rich imagination and I see very vivid dreams. Sometimes I even imagined seeing all kinds of fantasy creatures during the day because I was daydreaming so deeply. Later on this inner fantasy world became a great source of inspiration in my creative practice and my creative practice became my hideaway place where no harm can touch me. I often talk about heavy matters through fantasy and alternative realities and use softer, seemingly happy ways to communicate them.

Flower Creatures (kukkaisolennot in Finnish) are every good intention, every daydream, every smile and friendly thought, every ray of sunlight, every big or small act to protect our planet, every loving gesture, every flower in the forest, every act of kindness to all the creatures, every fight for the better, every selfless deed and so much more. They are here and they are here to stay.

The Flower Creatures - Kukkaisolennot, 2024, Kerava

Size 3 × 3 × 3 meters

Between Happiness and despair by Kunsthal NORD and Taiteen Talo was an educational program for artists about happiness and mental well-being and I was selected to be part of it through an open call in Spring 2024.

The project started with a 5 day artist residency in Denmark and during those days we stayed at the wonderful Løkken in a guesthouse with all the artists and project-makers and got to know each other. We also talked about the themes and how art can benefit mental wellbeing and what is our connection to the topic. 

During the next days we had three wonderful workshops. On the first day of workshops was with Inga Gerner Nielsen. On the second day of the workshop we traveled to the home and workshop of Marit Benthe Norheim. On the third day, we were transported through the hilly, North Jutlandic countryside to Kirsten Kjærs Museum, where our third teacher, Pia Skogberg, awaited us  with her daughter, Viola La Spina.

All of the workshops tackled the themes in different ways but thinking, talking and doing together was in the heart of everything. The five days in Denmark felt (in a good way) more like 5 weeks and it left a mark in me that I can’t really put into words. It was magic and it opened my mind and heart in ways I didn’t think was possible in 5 days with complete strangers who almost immediately felt like my family. Even now, almost a year later, I can’t explain the magic that happened there and for some reason I don’t even want to try. 

After the artist residency we, the artists, had a task to create some kind of interactional event or a workshop that is linked to the themes of how art can benefit mental wellbeing.

For this project I designed and hosted an art workshop at Kulttuuripaja Casa called "In the Garden" in which the participants were invited to dream and collaboratively make a world of dreams visible in the form of flower-themed collages. 

The aim for the workshop was to have a little escape from everyday life to an imaginary land where the uniqueness of each flower is celebrated and everything and anything is possible. The flowers in the workshop also worked as symbols for hope, acceptance and optimistic possibilities that the future might bring. The colorful and delightful flower -collages together became “the Garden”

My approach to this workshop was quite simple. I wanted to create a safe space where anyone can join and come as they are to share a moment and an activity together. I think that doing things together and by working with hands and using bright and joyful colors can help focusing on the present and to have an ease of whatever is troubling one's mind.

Together with the participants we shared a lovely afternoon together creating the flower-collages. I was happy to see how focused everyone was on the task and all the different flowers they created for the garden.  And based on the conversations we had during the day it seemed that everybody enjoyed the workshop.

I definitely would like to work more with the intersection between art and mental well-being. I believe my calming presence and my friendly personality are my biggest assets as a workshop host and I'd love to be a facilitator and to hold a safe space for others as an artist.

All the events and workshops and the documentation of this whole project were exhibited at Taiteen Talo Turku and Kunsthall NORD in November 2024, read more here.

Between Happiness and Despair, Kunstahl NORD, Alborg, Denmark, Taiteen Talo, Turku, Finland, 2024

FLOWERS & MAGIC exhibition captures the enchanting journey of the annual “flower chase”, starting with the first blooms breaking through the frost to greet the sun. This magical pursuit unfolds through the vibrant seasons of spring and summer, lasting until fall, as long as there are flowers to discover. Flowers not only bring joy but also offer hope for the future, reminding us that even after the darkest winters, spring and flowers will inevitably return. The exhibition also highlights the beauty of our nature and the importance of its preservation. Featuring a collection of paintings on canvas and laser cut plywood and textile artworks, the exhibition showcases a variety of techniques and I was able to explore and combine new and older works into a playful entity.

The exhibition was supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland.

FLOWERS & MAGIC, 2025, Vallilan Panimon Galleria, Helsinki

All photos by me

Me and artist Maria Björklund did this mural called Paraati (Parade) in 2023 to Myyrmäki station in Vantaa. The work was commissioned by the Street Art Vantaa association and Maria and I actually met the first time when we first visited the site to take some measurements. It was  lovely to see how well we worked together and our visual worlds complemented each other wonderfully (and we’d love to do more collaborations in the future too:)). The size of the whole mural is almost 60 meters long and the height varied from ground level up to almost 4 meters high.

Paraati is all about bringing colors and fun to the neighbourhood and it’s a celebration for friendship and diversity. We wrote a short text to describe the mural:

"The parade is a joyful march of wondrous creatures, where you can encounter all kinds of travelers. It welcomes all sorts of creatures, of all shapes and sizes, gentle and loving as well as fierce and prickly, all peacefully celebrating their diversity."

Paraati, 2023, Myyrmäki station, Vantaa

Photos by me unless mentioned otherwise in the caption.

From a Distant Galaxy is the second part of the fantastical anthropology - the story of the alien species, the magical and mythical Flower Creatures.

In this part of the story I explore further where the creatures came from and how their own universe looks like. The first part They come in peace shares more insight to the background of the story.

The exhibition was supported by the Arts Promotion Center Finland.

From a Distant Galaxy, 2023, Helsinki, at Galleria Loisti

Photos by me unless mentioned otherwise in the caption

They come in peace is a fantastical anthropology and the first part of the story of the alien species, the magical and mythical Flower Creatures.

They come in peace exhibition tells a story about these creatures from outer space and their intervention in the current situation of our world. It is a fantasy-like scenario, an alternative reality through which you can observe today's problems and phenomena from a utopian future.

Through the flower creatures and their making, I take a stand on the extensive phenomena and problem areas of the moment from the point of view that the grievances have been resolved and a change for the better has taken place - the body of work is as if rewriting the direction of our future. Through my art, I explore the birth of a new world when in 2020, the flower creatures descended from outer space and came with peaceful intentions to change the world. Wherever the creatures went, nature and people flourished in their wake - they left peace, harmony, equality, and a trail of flowers behind them. In 3020, parents tell this creation story to their children. No one has seen the flower creatures for hundreds of years, but one can see their traces everywhere.

In my artistic work, I am interested in the contradiction between the content of the work and its appearance. I use a happy and naive-looking approach through which I can talk about challenging issues. With the help of the flower creatures, I have been able to deal with the collective feelings of anxiety and fatigue that the corona years, climate change, and war have brought to the surface. The creatures have also become a crucial part of my identity as an artist; they help me to talk about difficult and very personal things softly and safely. My thoughts about change for the better are crystallized in the flower creatures.

These artworks were exhibited in Gallery Uusi Kipinä in May 2022.

They come in peace, 2021-22, Helsinki & Lahti

All photos by Matilda Palmu

Here are few installation views from solo and group exhibitions that I have had over the years. I often work with different techniques and materials simultaneously so in the exhibitions artworks vary from small to large and from textiles to paintings. Photos by me unless mentioned otherwise in the captions.

"I dreamt of a wonderful place where all the flowers of the world bloomed in all the colors of the world. In that colorful and joyful place, I was a fantastical creature. I had fantastical hands and marvelous feet, and I was covered in flowers all over. I was surrounded by other wonderful creatures, in the most wonderful shapes. Some creatures were constantly changing shape, as if they were liquid. Some creatures vaguely resemble human body parts, almost as if I had seen a walking eye! Some creatures didn’t resemble anything I had seen before. We were all different, each one more marvelous than the other. I felt a deep sense of unity and peace. It was good to be there, here and there. I was simply existing, being there with the others."

Wonderland exhibition is a fantasy world that speaks about identity, sexuality, gender, and the joy of self-discovery. The exhibition is an explosion of colors, a piece of fantasy, a playful and humorous glimpse into my inner landscape. The body of work brings together pieces created between 2020 and 2023, with a focus on woven fabrics, hand-tufted rugs, and paintings. This exhibition was very meaningful to me because it was the first time when I saw all my larger-scale textile artworks in the same space. An other thing that made this exhibition was the precious feedback I got from the audience. Such lovely and heartwarming comments in the guestbook and it seemed that the exhibition hand a very positive impact on the gallery visitors.

Local journalist Sebastian Stenvall made a wonderful article about the exhibition and me. You can read it in Finnish here

Wonderland, 2024, Galleria 2, Pirkkala

Photos by me unless mentioned otherwise in the caption

Pussyeyes and nippleflowers is a vast artistic production that consist of series of textile artworks as well as paintings. This production is an ongoing project and I continue exploring the same themes, sexuality, gender and identity, in my artistic work. This production was also part of my Master’s Thesis (you can read it here). I have exhibited different sets of these artworks in four different solo exhibitions: Pussyeyes and nippleflowers (2020), Fantastical creatures in the sexotic garden (2021) , Creatures and other wonders (2022) and the latest Wonderland (Spring 2024) that gathered all the artworks together.

With the artworks I explore my professional and personal identity, sexuality, gender and in-betweenness. As a result of this exploration I have created a colorful and imaginative collection of woven and hand-tufted textile artworks as well as paintings. The artworks celebrate diversity, humor, imagination and equality - they represent their own microcosm in the in between, beyond definition and terms where all kinds of existence is allowed and accepted.

Some of these artworks have also been featured in curated group exhibitions such as U-JOINTS - Knots & Knits at Fiskars Village Art and Design Biennale (2022) and Identity at Lapinlahden Lähde (2022-23). They’ve also been seen in different publications such as NYTM 5 - Talking Textiles Generation 2020, aalto.fi, The Nordic Young Designers Network and Glorian koti.

Pussyeyes and nippleflowers, 2020-2023, Helsinki, by Matilda Palmu

Photography in the urban wilderness by Tiina Palm

Other photos by Sampo Leiniitty and Matilda Palmu

“Oh, how I wish, how I wish u were weird. Being weird is such a great way to be and we all should embrace it.”

These glass objects are in the borderline of art and design. How statuesque glass bottle can be before it looses its functionality?

This project was inspired by my wacky illustrations and my personal feeling of weirdness.

The glass pieces were made in collaboration with Nuutajärvi glass blower Tero Silver and his assistant and Aalto University’s former glass blowing studio master Kazushi Nakada.

Wish you were weird, 2016-17, Helsinki & Nuutajärvi, by Matilda Palmu

Illustrations and photos by Matilda Palmu

“I feel a bit guilty that a buy more and more flowers just to see them decaying. I start to take photos of the decaying flowers and I see so much beauty in the aging flowers - I want to capture the whole process of decaying.

My imagination starts to sparkle, what if I turn these decaying flowers into something new, what if the decaying was an inspiration for something beautiful and everlasting?”

Night Flowers is a mini collection of double-sided multipurpose interior textiles. The inspiration for this collection comes from decaying tulips and the collection gives a new life to flowers that are in the end of their life. The idea of the textiles are that they are not trying to copy the seen nor the drawn sketches but to transfer emotions and expressions with materials and colors and floral motifs drawn with structures.

The fabrics are luxurious and valuable. The weft material is fine merino wool. The fabrics are woven in collaboration with Lapuan Kankurit and Aalto University.

Night flowers, 2018, Helsinki & Lapua, by Matilda Palmu

Magazine article: 09/19 Glorian koti: “Protoista parhaat, kuihtuvaa kauneutta”

Picture of the fabrics feaured in Helsingin Sanomat 8th September 2019 “Koti - ekoa ja hellää”

Exhibition: Protoshop 2019 at Habitare Furniture Fair, Helsinki

All photos by Matilda Palmu

“Oh my, Mary is blending into wallpaper..”

Pop-tart is an artistic printed and dyed fabrics collection and it consists of cotton and silk fabrics. The inspiration for this collection comes from pop-art and collages.

I combined different techniques and printed in multiple layers to achieve the wanted results. I aimed for bold colors, collage-effect and nostalgia.

Pop-tart, 2017, Helsinki, by Matilda Palmu

Materials: silk, cotton

All photos by Matilda Palmu

Käpy is an eye-catching pendant light. Käpy’s shape and inspiration come from spruce cones and different kind of patterns that I draw in my sketchbook.

I wanted to find out what kind of process it would be if I turned one of my patterns into a 3-dimensional product.

Käpy has been very popular and it has been shown in various design blogs, sites and magazines such as Artsthread, Roomido, Neo-funkkis and Plaza koti -magazine.

Together wiht Tipu, they are a small product family in which I express my playfulness as well as think about sustainability issues from the emotional aspect - I tried to design products that the user can fall in love with and cherish them for decades.

Käpy, prototype, 2015

Dimensions: 400 mm x 500 mm

Materials: white cardboard, birch plywood

Exhibitions: DMY Design Festival Berlin, Habitare Helsinki, MI15 Helsinki

1st  photo by Ninni West, 3rd photo by Panu Salonen. Other photos by Matilda Palmu

Maja is a hiding place for everyone.

The modern life can sometimes be too hectic and everything is happening too fast. There are so many distractions such as loud noises and bright lights everywhere so sometimes you just want to hide away.  Maja is a solution for that: when you need to take a break and hide away for awhile just go into Maja and relax.

To slow things down Maja was made by hand from felted wool yarn and the yarn was step by step woven onto the metal frame.

Maja is fluffy and friendly and you can also give it a hug.

Maja, 2017, Helsinki (current location and owner: Aalto University, Väre building, Espoo), by Matilda Palmu

Dimensions: height 1600 mm, width (largest diameter) 1200 mm

Materials: felted wool yarn, powder coated steel

Exhibitions: Welded & Woven, 2017, Artek 2nd Cycle, Helsinki

Black & white photos by Matilda Palmu

Flowered is summer in wintertime - sit on the flower chair and travel back to a beautiful summer day in the middle of a flower meadow.

Flowered is an installation in a private residence. Flowers in the installation represent the beauty in life. All beauty is evanescent. The temporary existence is what makes life so beautiful.

Flowered, Helsinki, private residence, 2015, by Matilda Palmu

Materials: metal wire, chrysanthemums, roses and carnations

Dimensions: 830 x 420 x 410 mm

All photos by Matilda Palmu

Tipuis a prototype of a small cabinet.

Tipu is an unique and cute cabinet that can be used as a small side table as well. The inspiration to this cabinet comes from cute and yellow small chicks (chick = tipu in Finnish).

Together wiht Käpy, they are a small product family in which I express my playfulness as well as think about sustainability issues from the emotional aspect - I tried to design products that the user can fall in love with and cherish them for decades.

Tipu, 2015, Lahti

Materials: birch, spruce and birch plywood

Dimensions: height 800 mm, width 330 mm, depth 330 mm

Exhibitions: Unveiled 2015, DMY Design Festival Berlin & Habitare Helsinki, 2015, MI15, Kattilahalli, Helsinki, 2015

Feaured in articles & blog posts: Artsthread, Roomido, Neo-funkkis, Plaza koti -magazine, Ilta Sanomat and private blogs.

Photos by Panu Salonen. Illustration by me.