Olle Salomaa (born 1942) is an artist from Turku. He is a member of Taidekeskus Into ry and works at Art Center TaidePompo. Visual artist Eija Ruoho and sculptor Sinikka Mäki-Lertola have been her mentors since 2014.

Olle is a master of fast croquis style drawings. He likes to browse through a big old family Bible. Olle defines himself as an observer and looks for topics that concern him. The image processing phase requires walking in the studio space and smoking outside before starting the work itself. The topics are tied to a certain moment, state of mind and situation. Once the subject has been found, Olle chooses the appropriate sized markers. Olle also says that his hands do not tremble when drawing. He concentrates and the essential message of the picture emerges from the pictures in the family Bible in an instant. The works are characterized by the spirit of immediacy and the artist’s own personal handwriting. The picture is ready in a minute, two, five minutes at the latest.

Olle’s sketchy drawings are related to faith and prayer. Faith has been a significant part of his life since childhood. The stories in the Bible have raised questions to which it has been difficult to find solutions. In particular, Olle has been thinking about original sin and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise. It has been worrying if you get into damnation just because of biting an apple. Through the creative process of making art, Olle has finally found a solution to the anxiety caused by damnation and original sin.

According to Olle’s philosophy, when a person goes to paradise, he can turn into an animal. Olle’s own wish is to turn into a swan after death. A swan can fly away from damnation if it has to. Joutsen/Swan (2019), made in the Art Notes community art group, describes the time after death. Joutsen has got a place at Karinakoti, in Turku.

Olle says that he is proud of his own works. “Art is my profession, I like making art.”

During his long life, he has had other occupations and experience has been accumulated: a construction worker at Pultti Oy, a caretaker and usher at a cinema called Kolumbia, a donut baker at a bakery and a handyman for a bakery car.