Julia Valtanen embraces art as both freedom and inquiry, a practice that emerges from inner knowledge and the courage to trust it. Painting becomes a space where visibility and absence meet, where coexistence across human and non-human life can be imagined, and where cycles of creativity reflect the rhythms of nature itself. Each work resists dominance, inviting empathy, openness, and a recognition of shared presence.

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Art is often chosen as a medium for its freedom. Why do you personally turn to art, rather than another form of expression?

I believe that every person carries an inner form of knowledge, a quiet pull toward what feels most authentic to them. It takes time to recognize it, and even more courage to follow it. For me, art is not just freedom of expression but also a method of inquiry - a way to reflect on what is visible and invisible, present and absent. Choosing art was less about a decision and more about trusting in this inner knowledge that kept insisting on being given form.

How do you reignite creativity during those inevitable periods of self-doubt or stagnation?

Things rarely move in a straight line - they move in waves, with rises and falls. During the low points, I remind myself that it’s just part of the cycle. It’s important to keep working, but also to allow myself to accept that this stage is normal too. What helps me most in those times is nature. It has a way of bringing me back to what feels essential and real.

Do you believe an artist's passion is something destined or a conscious choice?

 Passion may feel like destiny, an inner call that seems inevitable, but it only takes shape when we consciously choose to respond to it.

How does your art engage with or comment on pressing contemporary issues—social, political, or environmental?

My work addresses contemporary issues by exploring empathy beyond the human - toward plants, animals, and other forms of life. On my canvases, there is often no fixed center; instead, I build images where everything unfolds simultaneously and on equal terms. This compositional choice reflects a worldview where no single perspective dominates, but where different presences share the same space. In this way, my practice comments on ecology and coexistence, not through slogans but through a visual language of equality, care, and attention.

In a world flooded with imagery, what responsibility do artists have to stand out and say something authentic?

I think an artist’s responsibility is not to outshout the noise. Authenticity is not about being louder -  it’s about being true.

What do you think is the most meaningful role an artist plays in society today?

An artist’s role is not so much to provide solutions, but to offer new ways of seeing and reflecting.

In what ways has viewer feedback surprised you or shifted your perspective on your own work?

Each time I hear a viewer’s impression of my work, it feels both important and fascinating. My paintings are filled with layers and details, and it is always interesting to see which elements different people are drawn to. Some even begin to recognize images that I never consciously placed there, and I welcome that. I see these responses as part of a dialogue - the work continues to live through interpretation, and I value that openness rather than correcting it.

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The reflections of Julia Valtanen reveal a practice grounded in authenticity, attention, and dialogue. Art does not aim to outshout the noise of the world, but to offer spaces of seeing and reflection that remain alive through interpretation. What endures is a commitment to equality of vision, care for the living world, and trust in art as a way to connect inner truth with the collective experience of others.