16.12.2025, 13.00 – 14.30

Address: Nordic Culture Point, Suomenlinna B28
Language: English

Welcome to an Open Studio with artist Christalena Hughmanick, who will give a short presentation on her current project followed by a guided meditation.
Christalena’s ongoing B28 project ‘Transforming invasive flora for magical substrates & folk rituals’ project focuses on the invasive plant as a metaphor for outsiders becoming part of an island substrate by using invasive plants to create pigments for dyeing fabrics. 

She will present in-progress dyed and stitched textile works that began in July by foraging goldenrod, yarrow, “wrinkled rose” and rusty objects found on the shores of Suomenlinna Island.  She will lead guests through a demonstration on process and a short meditation ritual with the plants that are used in her works. 

Her efforts are motivated by eternally deep connections between women, nature and creation, stringing together theoretical threads of ecofeminism and hydrofeminism. These ideas see no separation between nature and culture, or the environment “out there” and the human subject “in here”. This oneness is a guiding principle for how she and other contemporary artists build collaborative strategies and community through their work.

About the artist
Christalena is a visual artist, performer & educator working in Reykjavik. In these practices, she builds community through shared experience, while playing with roles of artist to viewer and consumer to producer. These social practice methodologies were developed through obtaining an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she still advises students and alumni. International exhibitions, residencies and continued teaching in many different capacities feeds her practice and shapes projects.