Spruill Center For The Arts Presents Homecoming By Ilona Cutts

Finnish-born artist, Ilona Cutts exhibits her new series of paintings, HOMECOMING. Having spent much of her life as a nomad, moving from country to country, Cutts has been searching for Home most of her life. She has the eye of a wanderer, like a plant without roots. It is this rootlessness that has formed her artistic style where a myriad of cultures can be seen in her fantastical figures and dreamlike landscapes. After recently becoming a US Citizen, Cutts has begun to put down roots and discover the elusive feeling of Home. In her new body of work, HOMECOMING, Cutts explores this idea of Home and what it means to her and others.

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, January 20, 6-9 pm
ARTIST TALK: Saturday, February 5, 2 pm

About the Artist

Ilona Cutts

Ilona Cutts (born Sampovaara) studied Fine Arts at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design. In 1995 she received her BFA in painting from Kankaanpää Art College, in Finland. Ilona’s paintings have been exhibited internationally in numerous solo and group Shows. She has exhibited in Finland, Mexico, the USA, France and Spain. Her work can be found in important collections such as the Oulu Museum of Modern Art in Oulu, Finland. Her latest group show in Finland was at SINKKA, Contemporary Art Museum of Kerava in Finland, and participated in 2 group shows at Stone Sparrow Gallery in New York City in 2020.

Born to a diplomatic family, her family continuously moved from country to country since her birth in 1972. She lived in Argentina, Poland, the U.K, Mexico and Spain. She spent 21yrs in Mexico which deeply impacted her being and the art she makes.

As her family was continually moving from country to country as a child, Ilona often felt alone as she had to say goodbye to her friends. So as not to feel lonely she began drawing at a very early age and found solice in the creatures she painted.

Ilona and her Mother have a very special bond. Her Mother collected Art and antiques and encouraged Ilona to see beauty all around observing nature and animals. Surrounded by art and antiques Ilona had the chance to observe and study art in many forms. Her Mother crossed over to the Other Side in 2016, their special bond continues.

Ilona’s paintings center on anthropomorphic creatures or girl like figures, surrounded by nature or objects of obscure symbolic and ethereal meaning. Her narrative storytelling is both cute and cruel, at times disclosing her own personal views on the delicate relationship between man and spirit nature.

Currently Ilona is working on a new body of work for upcoming exhibitions, she also teaches oil painting and mentors other artists who are interested in pursuing a career in painting.

Ilona moved to the US in 2016. She and her husband John, their Shar-Pei, Liisa Lightray and their cat, Frida Katlo all live in Atlanta in a romantic white house.

Daily Parking

The parking entrance is located on Meadow Lane. Turn right after entering the complex. Marked parking spots are located on the right, near the gallery’s garden. Spaces on the left are first come first serve. Overflow parking is available on terraced levels below the gallery.

Contact gallery@spruillarts.org with inquiries.