Published: 30.4.2026
Text: Milla Viljamaa
Editing: Viestintätoimisto Jokiranta Oy

How did you become an artist?

I began studying piano at the age of five at a music institute. Towards the end of primary school, folk music was added alongside classical piano and theory lessons, when my friends and I went to the Näppärikurssi course in Kaustinen and founded our first band there. Discovering folk music was a transformative experience for me, as it introduced me to ensemble playing as well as the joys of composing and arranging my own music. I also fell in love with the aesthetics of the genre and its connection to living culture, such as dance. Folk music has given me significant foundations for my artistic work: through it, I learned to translate my own emotional experiences and views of the world into music and to realise an aesthetic that inspires me. It has also enabled me to create something new and personal.

Already in upper secondary school, I felt that the profession of a musician and composer was the only right option for me. At the same time, I became interested in stage music, and I had the opportunity to compose music for a musical produced by my school. During my professional studies, I was also able to explore the possibilities of using music in, for example, dance works and films. Interdisciplinary productions with different art forms inspired me and offered new perspectives on creating music.

Along the way, I have lost my artistic inspiration and motivation, but I have found them again by returning to myself and forgetting the demands the outside world places on making art. The reasons for making art are not found externally, nor in the pursuit of honour or fame. Art is not made out of ambition, but out of passion – presence and living in the moment, not striving towards the future. It is about doing what feels meaningful, interesting and opening new doors.

What is your relationship with nature?

Nature is one of the most important things in the world to me. It is as essential to life as lungs are to the human body. I spend as much time in nature as possible. It is a place that offers space for thoughts and emotions, and where all life is equally valuable. The nature of Lapland, in particular, has given me incredibly profound experiences of connection with the universe.

Nature grounds me and gives me strength as well as artistic inspiration. A few years ago, I started winter swimming, which has been both a therapeutic and a developmental experience for me in many ways. Stepping outside one’s comfort zone is often deeply empowering. Cold water forces the body to live in the present moment. It puts the brain on hold for a while and compels you to focus on experiencing. Through this, one also gains a strong connection with nature. The most magical experiences in cold water have been guided by living in the moment and coming to a standstill.

Tell us a bit about your project that the Foundation is funding.

The Sakari Alhopuro Foundation has funded our project Lauluja luonnolle (Songs for Nature), which we have been creating together with singer-violinist Veera Railio. In December, we released the first song on YouTube, Miksi talvi tarvitaan? (Why Do We Need Winter?), in which we explored the importance of winter.

I found it great fun to familiarise myself with various phenomena related to nature and its protection and to write song lyrics about them. At the same time, I learned a great deal more about, for example, decomposers and invasive species. The music for the project has been composed, and we are currently developing it into an interactive and multisensory performance entity for children, which will be presented in libraries and schools in Helsinki. The topic is important, and I am glad that in this way I have been able to contribute both to nature education and to the creation of art related to it.

What does art mean to you?

Art means freedom to me. It is a way to communicate and to live culture. Through art, I process things both as a creator and as an experiencer, and I understand them more deeply than on a purely intellectual level. Art is a tool for addressing difficult issues and understanding the inexplicable: it is, in a way, a language that exists above words and understands emotions. Art offers experiences and expands our understanding of the world. Without art, there is no life. Alongside nature, art is also one of the most important things in life – nature enables life, but art makes it meaningful.

Nature enables life, but art makes it meaningful.

What has been the greatest art experience of your life?

Every art experience has been wonderful and meaningful in its own way, and I do not feel the need to rank them. I wish that everyone could experience different forms of art as much as possible. I want to encourage people to engage with art and to remind them that art is not something that needs to be understood. Art is experienced. And is not experiencing also the reason why we are here and alive?

The world needs thought-provoking art. This blog series goes behind the art, featuring artists and works supported by the Sakari Alhopuro Foundation. In 2025, the art grants were awarded to artists who address aspects of climate change, biodiversity loss or the state of Finnish nature in their work.