Saara Salmi: Lada Redstar 1 (Atelieri O. Haapala)

The model in the photograph is burlesque performer Lada Redstar. Atelieri O. Haapala photographed thousands of people and characters between 2008 and 2016, both in the studio and at events.

Atelieri O. Haapala is a collaborative project by visual artist Saara Salmen and photographer Marco Melander. The duo drew inspiration from 19th-century photographic studios and itinerant portrait photographers.

About the artist
Saara Salmi seeks to guide people into other worlds. She creates vintage-inspired portraits under the name Atelieri O. Haapala, together with her partner Marco Melander. She paints the root systems of trees toppled by storms and designs poster images for various stage productions. Her sources of inspiration include forests, popular culture, monsters, fairy tales, and the complexity of the human mind. Salmi earned her Master of Arts from Aalto University in 2020. In her youth, she studied visual arts, graphic design, and animation in Liminka, Tampere, and Edinburgh.

By purchasing this print, you are donating 10 € to forest protection

The Association of Photographic Artists is participating in the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation´s (Luonnonperintösäätiö) campaign that is raising funds for the Art Forest (Taiteen metsä). The artist donates 5 € and the Association of Photographic Artists doubles the donation.