The visual artist Emily Little was born in Paraparaumu, New Zealand, and studied in Scotland, graduating from Edinburgh College of Arts. She now lives and works in Rome. As a painter of landscapes, she is interested in exploring the quality of light as well as spaces and the essence of places. While working within the traditional disciplines of painting and sculpture, she is constantly experimenting and looking for new ways of presenting a more “experiential” landscape. In her current practice, she is also concerned with the abstract elements of time, motion and memory.
Little works with unconventional materials: for the KulttuuriKauppila exhibition, she created works with hand-dyed mosquito netting and fishing line. After the nets were dyed, the artist sewed the multi-layered nets into various shapes. She was particularly fascinated by the way the nets reflected light while at the same time being transparent. These pieces could well be called sculpture installations and hard-wire paintings.
The exhibition Luci d´inverno—Talven valo at the KulttuuriKauppila Art Centre presented works of art created by Little during her three-month residency in January to March 2016. During her visit, Little fell in love with the blue light of the north, which then became the cohesive and supporting theme of the exhibition. The art on display in Luci d´inverno—Talven valo explored light during the day and light at night as well as reflections in the wintery landscape. The exhibition included sketches for studying the light in the north as well as finished works.