About

In the waking world I am a thirty-something Illustrator/Artisan (2011) and Bachelor of Arts (Ethnology & Anthropology, 2020), hailing from Finland. In the dream world, I connect with the myth of Kore and Persephone, the Underworld, and stories of slayers who become healers. I have always drawn pictures. Animals and mythical creatures at first, humans only as of late. In my opinion the power of creation resides in each of us, reflecting that which dwells at our core, and therefore is the very essence of us. Making images is simply the way this creative force comes to life through me.

Drawing from the fertile unconcious, the veil between shadow and light, as well as animistic worldviews, I always succumb to a state of deep creation which may sometimes resemble reclusiveness. Therefore I no longer work with “regular” illustrations, but assignments that are more in touch with our soulwork. I am at my best when I work with non-colored or lightly toned archetypal images, and concepts which unite symbolic and emblematic language with a handcrafted aesthetic.

My heaviest influence is the North, as in northern landscapes, mindscapes and soulscapes. Mythic stories and the archetypal feminine are usually the key elements in my illustrations. Technically, I am inspired by woodcut works and engravings of the neoclassical masters.

In everything I do, I try to connect deep psychological views of the human and deep ecological views of the other than human. As an artist I strive to evoke deep feeling and inspire connection with the forgotten parts of ourselves. Creating, for me, is a way to call back our souls, our wholeness, and our true nature in a time of dissection and severing.

Contact for assignments: tytti.leiwo@gmail.com

Picture credit: Kati Hiltunen