Tiina Salo-Devries

I am a Finnish artist who grew up surrounded with the forest, snow, rocks, and sea. I moved to Canada with my family in 2016 and found nature that gives me flashbacks from my home country after living in Asia and the Middle-East for about 15 years.

I believe in lifelong learning and development. I got a strong study base in Finland, but every day I find new things to learn and I reflect my knowledge to new challenges. In 1987, I earned a 5-year-Textile Design Degree and a BA in 2000 in Art and Design from Kuopio Academy of Crafts and Design in Finland. I also completed Specialization Studies in Handicraft and Design. In 1997, I received a Certificate of Vocational Teacher Education from HAMK University of Applied Sciences in Finland.

From 1988 until present, I have sustained an active record of solo, group, and collective exhibitions both locally and internationally. My artwork has been integrated into public places and facilities. As an active founder member of a Finnish Artist’s Group Liite, I have made numerous installations, exhibitions, and performances. Meantime I have given lectures and workshops. As a lecturer in Finland, I taught courses in visual arts, textile design, dyeing, printing, cultural studies, and photography.

My inspiration and theme of work evolve around the study of natural elements, light and color, found objects, and human spirits. My philosophy is inspired by the fact that art is an endless learning endeavor. Travelling and living in different countries have given me a new perspective to my own background. New cultural influences are filtered and accompanied with important themes from the past in my artworks.