House of Art – Kaisa Sirén: ”Rovaniemi is the best place in the world to call a home”

(House of Art Villa Vinkkeli by Kaisa Sirén)

“Everything is made with passion, if there is no passion, why bother”

Sirén spends her spare time roaming the woods with her camera and dogs. “Nature is my exploration, I photograph, edit, plan exhibitions and create art, and in between I execute events in Villa Vinkkeli. All this means I am constantly at my favourite job as an artist. When I truly get some time off, I travel the world to find interesting places to photograph.” During the travel restrictions Sirén has travelled the neighbouring Norway.

(White Trees by Kaisa Sirén)

The very seed of aspire to become a photographer was planted by Sirén’s mother who also was a passionate photographer. Her mother cheered and bought film and encouraged to study the field of photography. By the time of high school Sirén moved to Canada with her parents. There she graduated as a photographer, and the childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian was overrun by art, “thank heavens photography came and stole my heart”, Sirén rejoices.

Love stole the artist to the arctic

After photography studies Sirén moved to Finland to gain experience as a magazine photographer and with a full plan of returning to Canada. Little did she know that love had other plans. Rovaniemi was originally signed to Sirén as a job gig but there he was, Sirén’s future husband Seppo, who has always been the biggest supporter in Sirén’s life as an artist.

(Northern artist and owner of Villa Vinkkeli Kaisa Sirén)

Professional photographer tips the best places in Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi offers an unlimited amount of things and places to photograph and it truly comes down to what it is you need. Sirén names a few places close to her artist heart in Rovaniemi: The birch forest near Salmijärvi lake lean-to, the marsh woodland, rocky areas and pine forests of Ounasvaara, the river valley view from Santavaara, the rapids of Vaattunkiköngäs in Arctic Circle hiking area, and the miniature landscapes of Ounasjoki and Kemijoki rivers.

(Time to think by Kaisa Sirén)

While living in the metropolis of Toronto Sirén truly started to realize the meaning of her relationship with nature. How it is always nature powering her, loading her up for new challenges and how nature is her teammate in all her photography not to mention the endless source of inspiration. “The fact that the nature begins from our doorstep in Rovaniemi is like winning the lottery. This is one of the reasons why Rovaniemi is the best place in the world to call a home.”

The favourite place in Rovaniemi for Sirén is absolutely the forests of Ounasvaara. “Living next door to these woods and get to do my sports there year-round, makes me lucky, and makes everyone in Rovaniemi very fortunate to have such a recreational centre such as Ounasvaara a stone´s throw away from the city center.

(Antarctica by Kaisa Sirén)

Sustainable or unable

As a friend of nature Kaisa Sirén is concerned about over consumption, global warming and over population – phenomena she has encountered during her travels. She does not cooperate with those who do not share her values of respecting nature. Three main core values that guide her own operations are:

1. Favouring domestic products
2. Not being too hasty in purchasing new technologies, but in restoring and consuming the existing ones till the very end.
3. Showing the phenomena encountered on her travels in exhibitions – Sharing the knowledge and the true state of the world is growing the common respect for nature.

Sirén wishes to raise awareness of her art and services not only domestically but also internationally. This special house of art -Villa Vinkkeli always offers something new to learn for the visitors and welcomes with a warm homelike atmosphere.

Get to know the house of art Villa Vinkkeli: www.villavinkkeli.com

More of Kaisa Sirén as a photographer: www.kaisasiren.fi
Find Villa Vinkkeli from Instagram: @villavinkkeli & @kaisasirenphotography