Samuli Heimonen

Samuli Heimonen is a Finnish artist whose work centers around bold simple visual concepts, not unlike certain illustrators. Brad Holland comes to mind. Mr. Heimonen's more recent work seems to focus around images of certain animals, although it is clear that he is less interested in the natural forms themselves than what they convey to us as human beings. The paintings are more surreal than symbolic in that there is no concrete key to their meaning, and so they work as dreamlike images. They may represent the artist's attempt to approach some kind of personal understanding of the animal within us and what that says about our relationship to the natural world. In that light the work should be seen as an ongoing process, rather than individual completed paintings, although many work quite well in that sense as well. He has uploaded a great quantity of images compiled chronologically which further suggests to me a focus on the gradual development of his visual thinking. I could wish that the images were somewhat larger or that details were provided. Oh well. There's much to enjoy on his website www.samuliheimonen.com






















"With my own eyes" 145 x 175cm Acrylic and oil on canvas 2009






















"Flower" 195 x 195cm Acrylic and oil on canvas 2009























"Gratitude flies away" 145 x 175cm Acrylic and oil on canvas 2009



















"Army of One" 140cm x 160cm Acrylic and oil on canvas 2007

I believe I first came across one his images at saintstigersloversart.tumblr.com although it appears to have since been removed.