Employees explore creativity and collaboration at VTT Art Club

The connection between one's profession and their art can be profound. "Art, science, and technological innovation are all connected. To progress, one must experiment with new ideas, overcome the fear of failure, and embrace the possibility of appearing foolish. Our actions, like seeds, can grow into sturdy trees that bear new life," says Jussi-Pekka Ikonen, who works as a Research Scientist in VTT’s Reactor Analysis team.

Globally recognised Senior Principal Scientist Anja Oasmaa is the founder of VTT Art Club. When she started school, she had autistic traits, verbal disabilities and a variety of phobias. However, she excelled at drawing and painting. “I had difficulties learning to write and read, but luckily with the help of a great teacher, I started painting and the visualisation allowed me to finally understand letters as well! I have learned to manage these challenges, but I must work much harder than others. Art has enriched my 40-year professional journey at VTT. Creativity in art fosters innovation in my work, making it easy to generate ideas, form consortiums, and create patents and articles,” Anja shares.

As the founder of VTT Art Club, Anja has been a driving force in promoting the integration of art into the professional environment. Anja encourages everyone to see beyond disabilities and appreciate their unique strengths. "It’s important to learn to appreciate yourself and not feel ashamed even if you feel like you are different," she emphasizes.

This summer, all VTTers could enjoy the Art Club’s work as they hosted an exhibition at our VTT FutureHub office in Espoo. Exhibitions like this one provide artists with the opportunity to share their work with a wider audience. There has been a lot of positive feedback from colleagues about the exhibition – in fact, many of the paintings were sold and now have a place in VTTers' homes.

"The best part about participating in VTT Art Club is its inviting and cheerful ambiance. It welcomes everyone to participate at their own pace, regardless of skill level. Painting has been a meditative process for me, breaking the habit of being overly critical and allowing my thoughts to flourish," Jussi-Pekka says. For him, VTT Art Club has been a wonderful way to meet colleagues from various fields. “Observing the creative processes of others at my first workshop inspired me to continue my art journey.” The Art club is a space where fun memories are created, and shared projects come to life, enriching both the personal and professional lives of its members.

Research Scientist Peng Cheng Yuan works with computer vision at VTT and sees a clear connection between art and science. “Our team focuses on 3D vision projects. I enjoy expressing depth on 2D paper with paint and drawing. I joined VTT Art Club and feel that the workshop assignments have greatly improved my skills and fostered creativity!”