Merja Simberg — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

Apr 29

Apr 29 Merja Simberg

Biography

Merja Simberg is based in Helsinki, Finland. She graduated from Free Art School in 2010. Since then she has been focusing on painting abstract. Simberg lives and works in Helsinki and Hanko. The Free Art School emphasizes colour and light in education. Simberg carries that in her working process. The materiality of the colour inspires her and she observes how the colours move, the tensions, contrasts and depth variations. Her working process is physical and expressive. She works intuitively and does not stick to any certain rule. Merja Simberg expresses emotions and within her art, she examines humanity and thoughts related to it. She says that the most intriguing aspect in painting is the freshness of the moment and the continuous confrontation of learning and new encounters. She says: ” Painting is an adventure where I am an anxious explorer - I want to go for the unexpected.

Artist Statement

” Painting is an adventure where I am an anxious explorer -I want to go for the unexpected!”

What first prompted you to think of becoming an artist?

I wanted to be a painter already when I was a child. I used to draw a lot and I found a lot of happiness from doing it. Although I did not realize that dream when I grew up and I always carried that within me. After many years as a household wife taking care of my family I still missed something of real value and decided to apply for the Free Art school to realize what I had always wanted to do above all.

What kind of an artist do you ultimately see yourself?

I am an expressionist and an abstract painter as well as a colorist.

What are you hoping to communicate to the viewer through your work?

I hope I have built some kind of a bridge between my inner self and the viewer and that the bridge is the painting itself. I hope that the viewer could feel something different that she or he has not felt before -perhaps a tickling sensation, confusion, or just some kind of positive understanding of my intentions. The best thing is that the viewer could be part of my journey even for a while.

Can you explain the process of creating your work?

I paint directly on the canvas. I love the physicality and paint on the floor. I have about five or more works under process. I have certain intentions and I want to arouse certain emotions. I am very excited to start so I just see where the process leads me to. It is a discovery and it would not be interesting if I knew what the end result would be. I do not follow any rules or techniques - I just want to go for the unexpected and let go. Surely I have to stop to let the canvases dry and I have to stop to evaluate them and think analogically ‘“ where to go next “.At times I do not find any solution to continue so I have to leave a painting to rest even for one year. I destruct and construct, reveal and destroy and reflect my inner self. When I have nothing to add the painting is ready.

What is your favorite part of the creative process?

The spur of the moment. When I forget myself completely and have complete trust in what I am doing and follow my hand and have a full connection with the painting in process. When I can finish my painting from the start to the end at one or two sessions. These kinds of moments are very rare.

Can you give us an insight into current projects and inspiration, or what we can look forward to from you in the near future?

I have become interested in adding some figurative elements in my paintings and I have started to use black, grey, and brown which I have used only a little.

Website https://www.merjasimberg.com/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/merjasimberg/