Kerttu Saali

Kerttu Saali (b. 1994) lives and works in Helsinki.

Saali’s abstract works capture faint traces of observed reality, yet rather than referring to anything directly, they evoke experiences that resist definition.

Often dispensing with preparatory sketches, she may begin a painting by pouring a pool of paint onto the canvas and following its lead. For Saali, spontaneity is both a way of accessing the unconscious and a means of exploring the world in dialogue with the material.

Saali draws inspiration from the Impressionists’ exploration of colour and the effects of light and shadow. She likewise examines the interplay of light and darkness while also pondering the relationship between the recognisable and the unfamiliar. Her paintings suggest an ongoing pursuit of the intangible – whether light, colour, the unconscious, or the invisible world itself.

Exhibition Freshly Painted 14.5.–30.8.2026