Bird, Bowl and Bananas Print

Silja Salmistu is Estonian artist living and working in Denmark. Since 2016, she is dedicated to soft pastels, with still life as the main subject. Graduated with honor from Tartu Art School in 1986– coping with the circumstances of control, cencorship, limited knowledge about art developments and constant lack of art supplies under the Soviet Union occupation. Earned a MFA equivalent degree in painting in Tartu University in 1994, during the transition from collapsed communist regime to modern democracy. The contrasts can also be traced in her art – strict control with realistic detail here, free improvisation with loose abstract mark-making there; awareness of tradition combined with modern experiments; happy carefree florals side by side with thought-provoking compositions of hard issues like war, violence, abuse etc., staged as a kid`s play with toys. Salmistu prefers to paint from life, to share the room and time with her objects. She closely observes them and interprates the visual perception on her paintings, with special focus on light. She is a multiple award and competition winner, both on the international pastel scene and in Danish and Estonian all-media juried exhibitions. Salmistu has exhibited in numerous juried, curated, group and solo shows since 1997 in Europe, USA and online. Her art has been featured in several international and national art publications. www.siljasalmistu.art Facebook: bySalmik Instagram: siljasalmistuart ARTIST STATEMENT While the world is speeding up and making ever more noise, one may need to find a foothold to keep a balance, to retreat, to take a break. This is what my art is about. Painting still life, a silent existence of ordinary things, fruits and flowers, is a meditative process. I observe light in a room bouncing around the objects, causing colours to appear and interact. It takes and gives a peace of mind. I work from life, in silence. I like to have immediate contact with the objects in front of me, to share the room with them, that`s why I prefer to use my own two eyes instead of a camera`s single one I aim to achieve a subtle sensation of movement in the picture space, to give the viewers a feeling of being present and breathe in it. If I succeed, the concept of still life is no longer about an art genre, it`s about serenity. .