2016

During my birthday week in April 2016, I travelled to Helsinki, Finland, where I spent two weeks painting and drawing. I also visited a friend from art school. Most days I wandered the streets, observing people walking beneath the sun. Much like in New York City, the light in Finland is crisp and piercing—so bright it can feel almost painful to the eyes.

Helsinki is steeped in sauna culture. I visited the first sauna ever built in the country and took a sauna nearly every day during my stay. I refrained from drinking alcohol, walked for hours, painted for a few more, and ate simply—mainly vegetables, bread, and fish. My social interactions were minimal, and this discipline brought a sense of clarity and renewal.

Day by day, I felt myself becoming “cleaner,” and this translated into my work. My paintings from that trip excluded nearly all dark tones, even the shadows.

At the end of the journey, I carried away one lasting lesson: birds are free because they carry nothing.

This spirit of simplicity and lightness became the guiding approach for my next painting trip to New York City in 2017.