✦ Project Description

“JääValo” pays homage to the long-held Finnish winter solstice tradition of families gathering together and crafting himmelis by reinterpreting the traditional himmeli shape through a contemporary lens. The himmeli symbolizes the link between earthly and celestial realms and are traditionally crafted during the holiday season to celebrate the night sky during the cold and dark months, as well as to ensure good crop yields for the upcoming years.

Being from the tight knit Finnish immigrant community of Thunder Bay, Ontario, this work serves as a reflection of my cultural identity and ancestry by celebrating the balance between the historical Finnish traditions and the modern Canadian customs that characterized my upbringing. The piece not only honours and celebrates the rituals of past generations, but on a larger scale, also speaks to the various ways our cultural traditions evolve in an ever-globalizing world.