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Clothing carries countless meanings. It is part of our outward appearance and our personal identity. It can shield us from the gaze of others, help us blend in, or set us apart. Clothes are like role-playing costumes— part of the stage set of life. We look at one another and see only the surface, but what lies beneath it? When I turn my gaze inward, do I accept what I find there? In my works, I reflect on sameness and difference, on boundaries and boundlessness, on the courage to break away from familiar and learned patterns, and the courage to make choices that are truly one’s own.
The material of the works is paper—new or previously used—in its various forms and processed in different ways. I explore the different uses and possibilities of paper. I am fascinated by its properties, surface texture and translucency. Paper is light, fragile, changeable, and ephemeral. In these clothing‑like works, I also consider the meanings contained in everyday and familiar materials. Paper is ancient, versatile, and cheap consumer good. Clothing, too, is such an everyday given that we hardly notice it.
I work primarily with relief printing techniques, but creatively integrates other methods into my graphic art. My themes deal with different dimensions of being, with the beauty and contradictions of life. The works draw inspiration from the rhythms, colours, and forms of nature. The ideas often take form as three-dimensional works and installations, where materiality plays a central role.
Marja Leena Eerola graduated as a visual artist from Turku Arts Academy in 2023, following earlier studies in fine arts at Pekka Halonen Academy in 2022. Her works have been presented in solo and group exhibitions since 2014. Eerola lives and works in Kirkkonummi.
Loppu = Alku / The End = The Beginning, 2026, suojapaperi, muste, hakaneulat, koneommel / Schielding paper, ink, safety pins, machine sewing.
Sininen kesä / Blue summer, 2025, puupiirros japaninpaperille / Woodcut on Japanese paper.
Oranssi valo / Orange light, 2025, linopiirros japaninpaperille, kuitukangas / Linocut on Japanese paper, nonwoven fabric.