University of Helsinki
Leena Salmio is a liaison manager at the University of Helsinki and an avid artist.
Having undertaken art from an early age, Leena began her visual studies at the Helsinki Art School for children and youth where she developed a penchant for painting. Subsequent studies in Design (BA) and a Master of Arts and cultural management steered Leena towards other mediums including ceramics which she has utilised for the design of tableware and pieces of art. Through Art Meets Science, Leena looks to return to her childhood passion of painting.
Leena goes on to explain “I feel that Art Meets Science enables the sharing of researched knowledge through the medium of art. Art brings the diversity and interesting content of science into a new and maybe more understandable form, even for those who are not professionals in the field of science. It also allows the possibility to see the work of a researcher and to increase understanding of the research that is done at the University of Helsinki for the benefit of our society. The challenge of showcasing this research through my art as a visual artist is very exciting”.
During Art Meets Science, Leena has collaborated with Dr Teemu Tomberg, a postdoctoral researcher working on a qCSI project within the Faculty of Pharmacy. Here she has gained insight into the world of coherent Raman microscope. She mentions that “seeing the collaborations develop between several research groups and artists has been a very educational journey. With Teemu, I have learnt a lot about how in science, much like in the visual arts, light and colour play important roles. For Teemu, choosing the correct laser light settings is imperative to the resultant image acquired by the microscope. Similarly, visual artists must utilise light differently to either emphasise or blur the balance of light and shadow in a painting. With that in mind, it’s nice to think that we both utilise light to create new worlds, one under the microscope, and one on canvas’.
Thinking ahead to the exhibition itself, Leena expects a number of surprises and is excited to see it in its entirety. She explains “I am excited to see how other researchers and artists have found a common path and how this exhibition, put together by the Faculty of Pharmacy and a multicultural group of artists, will be presented to the general public. I hope as many people as possible will come and see what art and science can bring to our communities’
You can read more about Leena’s work on her website and Instagram.