matilda palmu

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

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

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 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 most recent invasion of the creatures (Paraati) can be seen at Myyrmäki station in Vantaa :) and the next one will be at Ihmemaa X exhibition in Kerava in June 2024.

Flower Creatures, 2020-now

Location: everywhere

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

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

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 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

AR/CT of balancing is an artistic material research project.

Every time human beings touch the nature they distort the balance of it. Nature is, in fact, in its complexity and in its “chaos”, in constant balance. It's a fluid form of balance. Human beings have been poking that balance to the very point where nature can not restore it anymore.

In this project I wanted to expose natural materials to different treatments to distort their natural balance. I wanted to comment the paradox of modern way of living where everything is disposable and everlasting at the same time.

The act of balancing was set in motion but stopped to the point where the balance can be still restored. All the material samples are 100% toxic free and biodegradable.

This project was visually inspired by the Memphis group and their colorful work. The samples illustrates the act of balancing between the natural and the artificial.

AR/CT of balancing, 2018, by Matilda Palmu

Materials: leaves, flower pedals, diy bioplastics, grass, turmeric, starch flour, beet root juice, food colors

Exhibitions: Experimental Textile Design -exhibition, Piano Gallery, Otaniemi, 2018 (-2019)

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

Come and paint with me is an event and art installation commenting the topic ‘matter’.

My favorite matter and what matters to me the most is human interaction and human emotions.

I created a pleasant setting and invited people to come and paint with me. The collaborative paintings became the visual narrative of our encounter. We painted about feelings, how we felt at the moment and however we felt like painting.

Every painting is unique. It was interesting to see how different the paintings became when the only variable in the setting was the person sitting next to me.

In the exhibition I showed the setting, pictures of the process and all the collaborative paintings. I also invited people to come and paint with me in the exhibition opening.

Come and paint with me, Helsinki 2017, by Matilda Palmu

Materials and techniques: Acrylic paints, aquarelle paper, human interaction

Exhibition: Matter -exhibition in Atski gallery 2017

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

Tipu is 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.

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

In collaboration with Niina Hyry I designed and made lighting and light installations for Ravintola Hukkatila (a pop-up restaurant) in Asko’s old factory.

We created atmosphere and highlighted different parts of the space with the lights.

Lights, Ravintola Hukkatila Asko’s factory, 2015, by Matilda Palmu and Niina Hyry

1st, and 3rd photo by Panu Salonen

Other pictures by Matilda Palmu

Tekstiili18 exhibition showcased the versatility and artistry of textile design at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. The exhibition presented curated textile design works in various fields such as fashion, interior, art and science.

I was the producer and part of the spatial team, who designed the exhibition architecture and the visual concept for Tekstiili18 exhibition.

Check out the full exhibition here

Tekstiili18, Helsinki

All photos by Eeva Suorlahti