Fern Paradise and the Future of Contemporary Murals

Biophilic aesthetics and wellbeing-driven design: explore how these murals reflect some of the biggest shifts in contemporary public art today.

Location: Marjatta Foundation, Havukoski, Vantaa, Finland
Size: 50m², two-piece mural
Funding: Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike)
Theme: Wellbeing, nature, accessibility
Impact: Transformative emotional response from elderly residents & locals
Why it matters: Proven social impact + community wellbeing through art

How did this mural move an entire neighborhood?
Fern Paradise is a 50m² two-part mural I painted in Havukoski, Vantaa, an area designated for positive special treatment to support vulnerable communities.

The work is part of a larger initiative, ‘Power of Nature’ (Luonnon voima), where our team (Maria Björklund, Elina Holley, and Terhi Ekebom) brings art directly to elderly people who cannot easily access cultural experiences in less privileged areas.

Our process is participatory: we collaborate with staff and residents and design murals that respond to each space’s emotional and architectural needs. The Havukoski pilot included two indoor murals, three outdoor murals, a transformed terrace, and a curated exhibition. The impact has been remarkable.

As I painted this piece, people stopped constantly, elderly residents, nurses, workers, teenagers, and families. Praises poured in. People loved these luscious, almost shock coloured flowers.

“Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. We’re really getting wonderful art now. Thank you so much!”
“For the elderly… It says a lot about the values you and your team stand for.”
“Damn, seriously so good.”
“F**ing awesome.”
“Thank you for making the streets beautiful.”
“It’s amazing.”
“Elina, your piece is insanely beautiful!”
“A joy for the eyes when you walk past.”
“Wow, this is turning out lovely, thank you so much.” (touches the heart)
“You can see you’ve had proper training–this is done with real thought.”
“You’re top-notch.”
“You’re truly talented.”
“Absolutely stunning, really lovely.”
“Goodness, this is beautiful.”
““Oh wow, you’re making something so beautiful–I had to come compliment you.”
“It’s lovely to walk past it on the way to work.”
“More beautiful art, yes please.”

— Comments as I was painting

The Fern Paradise mural and our pilot proved that botanical contemporary murals can uplift vulnerable communities and bring beauty to everyday life. High-quality public art is not just beautification. It is well-being, community connection, and social impact that can be measured. Just viewing art can significantly reduce stress levels, a brief relief from the pressure of modern living, recent studies have backed up, too

There is a reason people respond strongly to nature-themed murals. Natural forms transcend cultural and generational boundaries. It is our primitive need to find vibrant colours and fractions in our surroundings, but sadly, all too often, boxy “concrete jungles” just numb our senses.

The Power of Nature in contemporary murals is to be continued.

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