In the series At the Roots, I examine the forest floor, the undergrowth, and the roots beneath it. Are there such things as directions, beginnings, or endings? Or is continuous change and cyclicality the only certainty?

The series originated in the landscapes of my childhood in North Karelia. Standing quietly in a familiar nearby forest, I start to observe myself. I recognize the weave and network of forces that bind all things present together. The forest becomes an extension of my body, where my sense of self intertwines with the pulsing vascular system of the trees’ roots.

I think of memories that have attached themselves to the environment, forming a web of tension like a mycelial network. In the forest, I am within it, I am a part of it, I am connected. Here, matter is in a constant state of circulation, and ultimately we become one another.