Biography
In my recent years, the primary technique has been an oil painting, but occasionally I have used different materials such as cloth, resin, plaster, mold and various mix of collected material. However, new or different materials are not an intrinsic value but have a clear purpose in expressing the content of the work. At times I have worked my paintings closer to sculpture.
My works contain thoughts of eg. metaphysics, for example, reflection on the relationship between matter and mind and the character of nature and the universe, but also sometimes more of a casual structuring. I use both history and the present as material and also incorporate the topics on the surface while trying to deal with them more timelessly than for instance daily newspapers. I ponder what is unchanging over time and what are the ways that the world is always alike. I use history as both a visual and a theoretical source.
I strive for a painting that has enough to allow the experiencer to pass it by and through, and to stand alone without much obvious narrative material in the work. I think that in my paintings there is often no linear time present and there is no single moment to capture. The starting point of my painting process is rather my knowledge, my own experience or my interest in a particular theory.
Originally, I started doing visual art to unravel my thoughts and better understand the world around me. In this sense, the most important thing for me is the process of starting to be aware of the problem or conflict, setting up the question and getting closer to the answer. I see making art as a responsible work, an act, because it involves not only abovesaid but also the expression of one's own opinion. What is essential is the desire to be interested in different things - including unpleasant ones - and to know more.
Contact
I live and work in Helsinki, Finland. You can contact me via mail (sampo.sirkka@gmail.com), or using the contact form.