Joel Slotte’s painting is characterised by a dense, narrative and emotionally loaded world of images, where daily life is pushed towards mythical and dreamlike dimensions. In large figurative oil paintings, as well as in drawings and sculptures, he creates multi-layered scenarios where personal experiences and his own circle of friends are weaved together with art-historical references, folklore, popular culture and subcultural expressions such as metal aesthetics, tattoos and everyday rituals. Slotte often draws inspiration from Finnish settings and visual markers – forests, fields, cottages and everyday objects – that are set in dialogue with depictions of his closest circle of friends. Through these elements he comments on contemporary Finland and its cultural layers, where folklore and contemporary culture merge.
Artwork
Iridescent Wings and the Crackle of Bottle Money, oil on canvas, 170 × 150 cm, 2024. Photo: Joel Slotte
Wanderer, oil on canvas, 160 × 120 cm, 2021. Photo: Joel Slotte.
Subway Nectarines, oil on canvas, 70 × 60 cm, 2023. Photo: Joel Slotte.
Still Life Painter Putting Together a Vanitas Motif, oil on canvas, 70 × 65 cm, 2026. Photo: Joel Slotte.
Sleet, Painted Nettle and Pilsner, oil on canvas, 60 × 50 cm, 2026. Photo: Joel Slotte.
Presentation
Joel Slotte’s painting is characterised by a dense, narrative and emotionally loaded world of images, where daily life is pushed towards mythical and dreamlike dimensions. In large figurative oil paintings, as well as in drawings and sculptures, he creates multi-layered scenarios where personal experiences and his own circle of friends are weaved together with art-historical references, folklore, popular culture and subcultural expressions such as metal aesthetics, tattoos and everyday rituals. Slotte often draws inspiration from Finnish settings and visual markers – forests, fields, cottages and everyday objects – that are set in dialogue with depictions of his closest circle of friends. Through these elements he comments on contemporary Finland and its cultural layers, where folklore and contemporary culture merge.
The starting point is often an everyday observation or a situation that gradually develops into dense, symbolically charged compositions. Figures and environments seem familiar at first glance, but the details – wounds, glances, insects or unexpected arrangements – open up for insecurity, humour and multifaceted meanings.
Slotte’s work process is characterised by an extreme wealth of detail and a slow, reflective way of working, where painting, drawing and sculpture form a cohesive whole. The works balance between narrative and riddle combining empathy, anxiety and a subtle sense of estrangement.
Joel Slotte (b. 1987, Kokkola) lives and works in Helsinki. He trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki (2016) and has previously studied at the Nordic Art School in Kokkola (2007-2009). He was named Young Artist of the Year in 2021. He has had solo exhibitions at, among others, Turku Art Museum (2024), Galerie Anhava (2024), the gallery of the Finnish Institute in Stockholm (2023) and several other galleries and museums in Finland. His works are included in major art collections such as the Finnish National Gallery, HAM Helsinki Art Museum, Tampere Art Museum, Turku Art Museum, Saastamoinen Foundation, Pro Artibus Foundation as well as the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation.
“I am inspired by things close to me: friendships; moments magically imbued with meaning and emotion on cool and gentle summer nights; sorrows, fractures, shame; seeing the world as art; subcultures; excess; and holy, raucous laughter. Year after year, my mind is preoccupied with similar images, which I paint or draw over and over again, informed by ever-new experiences and questions.”
– Joel Slotte