art by silja s.
Silja S. (Silja Suomalainen) is an Finnish abstract artist born in 1995.
Her bold, large-scale abstract works serve as a physical manifestation of the emotions and experiences she has lived through. For Silja, art is a way to express parts of herself that she cannot put into words — offering a deeply personal outlet for self-expression.
Her work is characterized by a raw, dark, and expressive aesthetic, often exploring the tension between vulnerability and strength. Silja’s paintings are emotionally charged and visually powerful, capturing inner states with intense textures and gestures.
Her art has been exhibited in several galleries and group shows across Finland and internationally in 2025.
Contact artist info@artbysiljas.com
Collections
SELFPORTRAITS (2025)
“Selfportraits” explores the pain points of identity, internal conflicts, and the journey toward self-acceptance. The works’ strong contrasts, rugged forms, and interplay between light and shadow embody those dimensions of the self we often prefer to reject rather than confront.
“Self-Portraits is a depiction of the parts of myself I’d rather keep hidden — from both myself and others. Instead of feeling ashamed or avoiding the mirror, through this collection I expose my vulnerabilities to public view. As long as we avoid facing and processing our inner wounds and keep pushing them away, they continue to influence us from the shadows, distorting our self-image. Even partially hiding who we are drains energy from better things. That’s why I believe that accepting oneself — fully, with all aspects included — is essential to healing. Making vulnerability visible opens up the possibility for wholeness; when art gives form to pain and weakness, those wounds begin to lose their power.”
FEMME (2024)
It is said that the masculine represents logic and order, while the feminine embodies emotion and chaos. The theme of the ‘FEMME’ collection is inspired by the concept of yin and yang — the idea that the masculine and feminine need each other to form a harmonious whole. I lived much of my life through masculine energy, until I finally surrendered to the liberating force of the feminine. That surrender has been one of the most healing journeys of my life, helping me discover a way of living in which I can truly thrive.
The ‘Femme’ collection is a reflection of this journey and the transformative, healing power of feminine energy.
The collection includes 21 small works and one large piece. The smaller works are painted on high-quality canvas and are shipped to the buyer framed. Each piece is stamped as original and hand-signed.
STAY (2023)
“Stay” was born as a reaction to the rush of modern society. Imaginary haste and constant running to the next moment are a scourge that alienates us from life. The rush ignores the importance of being and experiencing the performance and achievement of ideals. Let’s stay for a moment and look at hurry and stop and the themes related to the balance of these things. The works depict different moments of life, which combine chaos, haste and melancholy, but also peace, tranquility and joy. The collection combines abstract paintings and poems.
MOVEMENT (2022)
Movement is my first collection and the first step towards my own truth. The collection deals with intuition, i.e. our inner voice. The texts and works have started in 2021 intuitively and they are strongly related to the need that arose from within me to start a journey as a creator of art.
Listening to intuition is not easy. The collection deals with the fears, insecurities and thoughts that listening to my own intuition has awakened in me. The collection also deals with courage, initiation and surrender. Despite all these fears and insecurities, I have decided to listen to my intuition and make public what is screaming inside me to let it out.
Movement is movement towards the version of ourselves that the ego tries to hide. The version of ourselves that we can get everything by listening to.
THE ESCAPE PLAN (2022)
“The Escape plan” is another of my collections made in 2022. The collection, consisting of paintings and texts, deals with depression and healing from it. The works are my personal stories from 2020-2021.
The collection is a journey from meaninglessness to meaning. Its purpose is to remove the shame associated with mental health problems and to provide a platform for identification for those who need it. The collection goes through a process during which I have reflected on the world and my own outlook on life, finally finding a route back to the light. Intuition, consciously challenging fears and surrendering to oneself play an important role in the stories of the second collection as well
HERE NOW (2022)
Here now” (Finnish: Hetketesta) is the last of the 2022 collections. The collection celebrates living in the moment and being present, this moment.
Over the past few years, mindful presence has been the single most meaningful realization of my life. Only through complete presence can we achieve what we seek. Peace, meaning, love, life. By portraying the limitations of life and the preciousness of our limited moments, I no longer fear life but dare to live it exactly as I want. In the last collection, I deal with presence and related observations and insights through art.
Making art in itself offers me a way to live fully present and enjoy the flow of life. In art, the most important thing for me is the process, not the finished result. In the final collection, I hope to offer the viewer the opportunity to stop in front of the wonderful life, here and now.