Noru Innes (b. 1978, Finland) is a Glasgow-based interdisciplinary artist primarily working with photography, sculpture, and installation art. Her practice is rooted in personal narratives, exploring the intersections of memory, identity, and emotion. Noru’s process is both controlled and experimental, often starting with an idea – perhaps just a fragment, a question, or a feeling – which she then develops through experimentation with materials and forms. Through her work Noru aims to create spaces where the viewer can encounter themselves in a reflective way and learn something not only about the artwork but also about themselves, their own memories, perceptions, and the similarities we all share in our lives when moving through the world.

See Noru’s work as part of our annual autumn open call exhibition, Future/Past, featuring a sublime collection of works by twenty six artists inspired by ancestral echoes and future visions; pieces that dismantle tradition, reimagine narratives, and linger in the margins of the radical, the oneiric, and the everyday.

Hi Noru! Tell us how your artistic journey started.
After my undergraduate studies in my native country, Finland, I stepped away from my creative practice for quite some time. A few years ago, I felt drawn back into making and began by studying photography, which reignited my artistic journey. That eventually led me to pursue my Master of Fine Art studies, which I’m currently undertaking at the Glasgow School of Art. I think the pause gave me perspective and looking back, the time away was formative in its own way. It gave me the space to return with clarity, commitment, and a new hunger for experimentation.

How did you arrive at the theme of your work?
Philosophical questions have always been a source of inspiration in my work. I am especially drawn to existential questions, particularly those concerning freedom and free will and I use my practice as a way of exploring these questions in a visual and material language. Metaphor often plays a role in this process: it allows me to transform abstract ideas into forms and gestures that speak on a poetic level. With the particular piece included in this exhibition the inspiration came from an amusement park game I loved as a child, called ‘Pull the String’, in which you choose from a bundle of strings, pull one of them, and it may be attached to a small prize. This game had been in my mind for quite a while as I thought it offered a great metaphor for free will, or rather the illusion of it. The gesture feels like freedom, you choose which string to pull, but the outcome is beyond your control. For me, it mirrors the human condition; we are free to choose, but not free to choose the consequences.

Which artists inspire you? Are there non-artistic influences such as literature or music that impact your work?
My artistic influences are wide-ranging, reflecting an interest in both historical and contemporary practices. I am drawn to autobiographical art, particularly the intimate, confessional practices of artists like Tracey Emin and Louise Bourgeois, whose work transforms personal experience into universal resonance. At the same time, I am equally interested in more theoretically grounded approaches, as seen in the work of artists such as Phyllida Barlow, where material and form are explored in ways that extend beyond the personal. Music is a constant source of inspiration in my making, providing both inspiration and momentum. Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Jeff Buckley but the choice of music really depends on my mood and the energy I wish to infuse into the piece I’m making.

What emotions or reactions do you hope viewers experience when they see your artwork?
Rather than aiming for a single emotion or immediate reaction, I’d like my work to create space for viewers to encounter themselves, their doubts, their longings, and their questions. I hope it encourages viewers to slow down and reflect, I’m less interested in giving answers than in provoking questions. It would be nice if it offered a moment of stillness, a chance for the viewer to step outside of distraction, to be fully present, and to turn inward, even if only for a few seconds. That pause, however brief, can open the way to deeper reflection.

What do you do to keep motivated and interested in your work?
I think it’s important to keep experimenting and learning. As an interdisciplinary artist, I can keep my motivation alive by exploring the same idea through different mediums and materials, and other times I might switch between projects to keep my process fresh. When I hit a wall, I take the pressure off by just making materials with no expectation of outcome. Sometimes those materials find their way into future works, and sometimes they become works in their own right. To be perfectly honest, the motivation is always there! Even when I encounter creative blocks in the process of actualising a work, the impulse to create remains constant beneath the surface.

Will your next project be a continuation of your current style or are you experimenting with something different? Can you share a glimpse of your next project?
I really try not to restrict myself too much and instead follow where ideas lead me, whether that’s in subject matter, materials, or methods. I usually have several projects running at the same time, but right now I’m especially excited about an installation I’m working on. It’s a longer project and an evolving process. I have a sense of its direction and what it might look like when finished and finally installed, but I expect – or rather want to allow – it to change along the way. Because of that, I find it hard to describe any work in progress in detail right now and am hesitant to define it too narrowly at this stage.

Find out more about Noru’s work on her Instagram or website. Future/Past runs at Six Foot Gallery until Tuesday 14th October.