Tree of Life

Eeva-Liisa Sorainen’s (Mölsä, b. 1957, Nakkila) Tree of Life is a relief carved from lime wood that depicts the unity between humanity and nature and the cycle of life and death. The profusion of the natural world is expressed by the range of plant and animal species featured in the work. The relief has three layers: the above ground and the subterranean worlds, with a sturdy tree of life between the two that dominates the work. The tree’s branches and roots spread out, filling the upper and lower parts of the work. Motifs in the superterranean part include a woman and man holding hands, a human and an ape child hanging from a branch, and a fox and rabbit regarding each other. Below the surface lie skeletons and dead bodies yet to decompose. Made from four wooden planks, the relief is six metres tall and three metres wide. The work is installed on the wall of the daycare centre stairwell.

The work was produced under the Percent for Art programme, and it belongs to the collection of the City of Helsinki, managed by HAM Helsinki Art Museum.