Daily life is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Heidi Ukkonen. The artist translates the many impressions of her surroundings into a suggestive imagery that comes across as alienating. In her creative process, the use of different materials also plays an important role. This artistic choice often gives her paintings a graphic identity. In a subtle way, the work of Ukkonen refers to various aspects of her life. Since the start of her training in painting at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, the artist has been living in the multicultural city with her family. Her paintings also reveal an interest in art history, both in terms of content and form. Ukkonen's oeuvre often brings to mind the work of classical, modern and contemporary artists such as Hieronymus Bosch, Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Henri Matisse, Philip Guston and David Hockney. As a foundation for her paintings, Ukkonen chooses various mediums such as linen, canvas, cardboard and wood. Each composition is given form and colour by using different types of paint: egg tempera, acrylic and spray paint. This combination always guarantees a lively image and results in a painted collage. Ukkonen's art grips the viewer's eye. This happens through the composition of everyday motifs in an illogical context. The relationship between the visual elements and their references in reality, is disconnected. The motifs acquire their own, often graphic, identity. The viewer's emotional feeling is intensified by the multiplicity of textures and colours. In a wonderful way, Ukkonen's work turns our gaze inwards.