#043 Sari Soininen (b. 1991), Dimension #4.

SARI SOININEN (FI, 1991)

Dimension #4 (2021)

Fuji Pearl 290gsm

33.8 x 45 cm / 13.3 x 17.7 in

Print 2 / open edition

Transcendent Country of the Mind

Transcendent Country of the Mind is a project exploring my encounters with alternative dimensions of reality and my perceptions of otherworldly signs around us. It tells the story of a world that lives at the back of our minds. In my early twenties, I experimented with LSD regularly and excessively, and eventually experienced an extended psychotic episode, which had serious consequences on my own life, but also profoundly changed the way I perceive the world and reality itself. During this time, I abandoned all my worldly possessions; I confronted the demons of Hell and was shown the wonders of Heaven; I travelled through time and space; I peeked behind the curtain of this dimension and - even today, having fully recovered - my understanding of reality has changed forever. These photographs represent this perspective and offer others similar glimpses to what I found behind the curtain.

About the artist

Sari Soininen (b.1991, Raisio) is a Finnish photographer based in Bristol, United Kingdom. Her colourful otherworldly photography draws from philosophical thoughts and personal mystical experiences. Her interest is in providing the viewer with alternative ways of seeing the reality and world around them. Sari holds a BA in photography from Lahti Institute of Design (2014), she carried out exchange studies at Edinburgh College of Art (2013) and is currently studying MA Photography at UWE Bristol (2021). After completing her BA degree Sari began a career in graphic design, event photography, and animation. In 2019 she decided to pursue fine art photography and started her masters. Sari is an emerging artist with her latest work shortlisted for British Photography Awards and Helsinki Photo Festival. She was recently awarded as a highly commended artist by Belfast Photo Festival, and she has had work featured for Loupe Magazine & Fast Forward - Women in Photography, and her work will be presented in Chania International Photo Festival and in Torquay’s Artizan gallery this year. She is currently working on a book that she hopes to be published in 2021.