Ill-Timed Sprouts and Other Tales: The Art of Reeta Inkeroinen at Camera Stylo

If you’ve got an eye for detail and are a regular at Camera Stylo, you may have noticed the charming illustration of the bar itself hanging on that cozy, dimly lit corner on the first floor.

The artist is Reeta Inkeroinen, a Finnish expat who spent last year sketching her evenings away at Camera Stylo. When the crew found her illustrations on social media, a new connection was forged through the subtle magic of Beijing, where strokes of serendipity bring us all together. Reeta held her first exhibition at the café and is now back until Dec 5 with Ill-Timed Sprouts and Other Tales, a series of enigmatic ink and pencil works in black and white.

Nice to meet you, Reeta! Your exhibition title is rather intriguing. What’s the story behind it?
Some of my works feature plants and animals sprouting from people. No matter how you look at it, it’s not exactly ideal, right? Eventually, it inspired the title for this exhibition, which is meant to explore the bond between humankind and nature in all of its complexity. I wanted to reflect on our interactions and distance with nature. You see, it’s a fluctuating relationship. When we willingly place ourselves in nature, we admire it and take pictures. However, we also back out quickly when nature comes to us uninvited.

Food for thought indeed. What does it feel like for yourself when you’re creating your artworks?
It’s always an interesting process. When I started working on All the Frogs I couldn’t help but feel repulsed at first — the thought of frogs coming out of your mouth isn’t very enticing! However, I no longer felt disgust by the time I’d finished it. It was striking for me to realize that some viewers shared my first impressions. That being said, others resonated with my own journey with the piece and said that perhaps art is a medicine for our fears and phobias. That was a very interesting idea.

This has been a year full of changes and challenges. It has also been a period for me to explore new mediums, techniques and bigger artworks. Some take longer to create than others. Some are born from photographs or references exclusively, and then for others, like A Silent Conversation, I engage in an inner dialogue. It’s never a uniform process — my own connection to each piece is different every time.

What’s most important for you as an artist?
Though I’d say that self-expression is crucial for me as an artist, I often find myself in the position of a viewer. I’m always awestruck by how even though a single artwork can represent so many different things depending on the onlooker, everyone is united through their observation of it. This fact has sparked some fascinating conversations. Truthfully, I don’t always have a specific meaning in mind when I’m creating a new artwork. That meaning is a series of interspersed interpretations that I gain from the audience.

How do you feel about developing your art career in Beijing?
Beijing has granted me so many exciting avenues and opportunities! I have gained so much self-confidence as an artist, and I am hoping to exhibit my art in local galleries in the future.

What’s your favourite artistic subject? Is there any fellow artist who’s influenced your own work?
Faces, people —anything that admits an unexpected twist! Two of my favourite artists that I follow on social media are Fujiko Rose and August Lamm.

I am looking forward to seeing your future works! Where can people find you?
I’m on Instagram as @riidaai, and of course on WeChat (Riida_ink) too!

Ill-timed sprouts and other tails is free entry and runs until Sunday, Dec 5 at Camera Stylo

READ: Weekend Walk: Zig Zag Through the Dongcheng Hutongs with this Artsy Stroll

Images courtesy of Reeta Inkeroinen