Artist Emmi Mustonen (born 1987) works mainly with the old masters’ painting technique inspired by the renaissance.

This technique comprises of slow and meticulous painting. At first, the artwork must be carefully pre-planned. The emerging painting is made up of several thin layers of paint. After each layer, the paint must be allowed to dry. This allows for the colors to be mixed up on the canvas as pure, separate layers, deepening the play of light and shadow and bringing life to the hues. Painters mastering the realistic style are hard to find, artists proficient in the old masters’ technique are almost extinct. Patience and a certain level of perfectionism are required.

However, for Mustonen, the technique is just a side dish. She is fascinated by how certain works rise up to take their place in art history, by the power art wields to connect with individuals despite differing backgrounds and cultures. As an artist, Mustonen is a master conveyer of emotional landscape, a master painter who does not shy away from technically challenging solutions.