Ida Immonen

Artemisia Vulgaris  –  There is a lot of Strenght in a Common Weed

14. August – 13. September 2025

​​

 

The exhibition centers on mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), a plant the artist uses to dye yarn. Once revered for its medicinal properties and known as the "mother of herbs", mugwort was used to treateverything from menstrual pain to depression and childbirthcomplications. It is also named after Artemis, the Greek goddess of nature, the hunt, and protector of women—embodying both strength and care.

Today, mugwort is classified as a weed due to its invasive nature. Its ability to quickly spreadand dominate landscapes makes it both resilient and threatening—displacing native plants and disrupting ecosystems.

The works are dyed not only with mugwort but also with other wild and medicinal plants, including invasive species and forest herbs, like those that predate modern aspirin. Birch bark—symbolic of women, light, and healing in Finnish mythology—gives the series its red, pink, and purple tones.

Through natural materials and mythological connections, the series explores themes offemininity, resilience, and the blurred lines between healing and harm, care and colonization.

Ida Suvituuli Immonen (b. 1992, Finland) is a textile artist based in Oslo. Her work is rooted in the Finnish ryijy tradition and Nordic knotting techniques. She plant-dyes wool, linen, and silk, often incorporating recycled fibers and plastic. Immonen holds an MA in Material-Based Art from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and has exhibited at venuesincluding the National Museum, Galleri F 15, and the Intercultural Museum. In 2020, shereceived Norway’s three-year working grant for emerging artists.

The exhibition is supported by Oslo kommune and Norske kunsthåndverkeres vederlagsfond.