Vilma Määttänen produces pigments from the materials in her surroundings. She collects minerals and plants both from forests and fields and even from the outskirts of cities and wastelands. She has examined several binding mediums in her paintings, such as oil, yolk and beeswax. Määttänen’s work plays with the perspective where the position of humans in the center of everything is cracking and faltering. The self produced pigments and binding mediums create material connections back to the soil. Pigments made from plants fade over time due to the effects of light.
Vilma Määttänen
b.07.01.1989 Helsinki
Education
2025 Pedagogy in Upper Secondary Education, University of Gothenburg (SWE)
2024 Gestaltande fotografi med inriktning mot pedagogik, fristående kurs, Valand GU (SWE)
2022 Degree of Bachelor of Arts with a major in Cultural Studies (BA), University of Gothenburg (SWE)
2019 Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Academy of Fine Arts of Uniarts, Helsinki (FI)
2017 Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Academy of Fine Arts of Uniarts, Helsinki (FI)
2014 The Gerlesborg School of Fine Art, Bohuslän (SWE)
Solo and Duo exhibitions
2025 Ergo Homos, galleria Mältinranta, Tampere (FI)
2024 Bond and fractures, TM-gallery, Helsinki (FI)
2022 May birds build and other tales from the age of dissolvement, Bubblan, Gothenburg (SWE)
2020 At Home, Tasku-galleria, Helsinki (FI)
2019 Liikkuva Linna / Moving Castle, Project Room, Helsinki (FI)
Group exhibitions
2025 Adrift, Gibca Extended, Palazzot, Gothenburg (SWE)
2024 Bild Bildväv Väv, Lyktan, Gothenburg (SWE)
2023 Allt ska bort! Gibca Extended, Tackjärns, Gothenburg (SWE)
2022 Kotka Art 2022, Galleria Uusikuva ja Kotkan vanha sairaala (FI)
2021 Together through painting, London Paint Club (Online Exhibition)
2021 The Time machines and Utopias, Tarvaspää, Ainola,Visavuori (FI)
2019 Together.Differently., with the collective Expodium, Helsinki (FI)
2019 Pielenmaisema, Ars Kärsämäki, Kärsämäki (FI)
2019 Kuvan Kevät, Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki (FI)
2018 Bulletin, Mindepartementet, Stockholm (FI)
2018 Rajallisia tilaisuuksia, Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki (FI)
2017 BFA exhibition, Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki (FI)
2017 Fondia, Helsinki (FI)
2016 Boarderline, Tasku-galleria, Helsinki (FI)
2016 RE:VIEW, Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki (FI)
2016 Mixings, Tasku-galleria, Helsinki (FI)
2016 Kuvataideakatemian näyttely, Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki (FI)
2014 Spring exhibition, Gerlesborgs Konsthall, Bovallstrand (SWE)
Other public appearances
2019 Gloria's open studios, NYC (USA)
2017 Unknown city, Helsinki (FI)
2016 Praktik with Mauritz Tistelö and Joel Gröndahl, Helsinki (FI)
2015 Praktik with Mauritz Tistelö, Helsinki (FI)
Residencies
2019 New York City, Gloria's open studios (USA)
2017 Berlin, The academy of fine arts recidency (DE)
Scholarships
2025 Saskia ry (FI)
2024 Stina Krooks Stiftelse (FI)
2024 Svenska Kulturfonden (FI)
2023 Hélène och Walter Grönqvists Stiftelse (FI)
2022 Taike grant (FI)
2021 Taike grant (FI)
2018 The Academy of Fine Arts’ grant (FI)
Works in Collections
The Academy of Fine Arts collection (FI)
Finnish Art Society, Art Lottery (FI)