Christelle Mas named visual artist of the year for Oulunsalo Soi

The Oulu-based photographer Christelle Mas has been selected as the Visual Artist of the Year for the Oulunsalo Soi Chamber Music Festival. Mas, who collaborates extensively across various media, combines artistic and scientific methods, utilizing soft materials, installations, videos, and photographs. The Visual Artist of the Year was chosen in collaboration with Photo North – Northern Photography Center.

"Working across various media, Christelle Mas explores the relationship between technology and humans, future scenarios, and interactions between species, making her a relevant artist. The exhibition at the Oulunsalo library, combining soft materials, installation elements, and video, expands the concept of photography and invites immersion into a multidimensional and perhaps slightly humorous utopia of the future," commented Darja Zaitsev, the director of Photo North – Northern Photography Center.

In her work, Mas explores human connections to technology and other species, often imagining future scenarios where genetically modified species coexist with humans in unfamiliar environments. Her works blur the boundaries between science and mythology, as well as between natural and artificial elements.

Mas holds a Master's degree in Fine Arts from the Sorbonne University in Paris, where she also completed a Bachelor's degree in Art Philosophy. Her works have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Finland and internationally. As usual, the visual identity of the Oulunsalo Soi Chamber Music Festival will be illustrated by the artwork of the Visual Artist of the Year.