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. The cooperation with chickens and bees is part of her artistic practice, the same way as growing plants for her dyestuff. 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.
In addition to her painting practice, she is part of a long term collaborative sculpture called The Moving Castle, which currently exists in Lohja, Finland. The collaboration deals with questions of improvisational, inclusive ways of being in a place and how that relates to regulations and bureaucracy. The Moving Castle has been a home for humans and smaller animals like mice, birds and insects. As a constantly transforming sculpture, the act of living in it has been part of the artwork, but it also carries a societal dimension. The sculpture is shown in various forms, such as in communication with local building officers, art exhibitions, communal projects, and as a starting point for discussion events.
Vilma Määttänen
b.07.01.1989 Helsinki
Education
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
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
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
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)