STILL – Laura Ukkonen

I have been drawing myself and my loved ones at home, within spaces shaped by objects and plants. Through this, I attempt to capture the conflicting emotions of everyday life. Home is a place where one seeks shelter from the gaze of others, yet it is also a place where one may unintentionally end up alone. Traditionally, home has also been a social center, especially for women—a space meant to be presented to others.

When drawing people, I observe emotions such as loneliness, shame, and confusion—feelings that arise from an inability to connect physically or to live up to expectations. At the same time, I see hope and the recognition of one’s own space. Emotions are revealed in gestures, in posture, in the subtle tilt of shoulders. Drawing plants fascinates me as a parallel to the delicate gestures of the human body. I also take inspiration from women’s self-portraits, portraits, and domestic interiors across different eras, as I am interested in the way emotions transcend generations. What do emotions reveal about women’s history, and what does femininity look like when defined by women themselves?

The works in this exhibition are woodcuts, charcoal, and pastel drawings. I print my woodcuts both by hand and with a press, experimenting with different types of paper. I create unique prints and small, evolving series.

I live and work in Helsinki and hold an MFA in Fine Arts and an MFA in Art Education from Aalto University. I have also studied fine arts at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris and art history at the University of Turku (BA). In addition to drawing and woodcuts, I create video works and write. I have held solo exhibitions in Finland, including at Galleria Huuto in Helsinki (2022, 2015), and have participated in group exhibitions in Finland and abroad—most recently in Huuto’s exchange exhibition at Produzentengalerie plan.d in Düsseldorf, Germany (2022). My works are part of the Helsinki Art Museum collection, and I have contributed to publications such as Taidejemmoja (Children’s and Youth Art Centre Foundation, 2019).

Thank you

The Arts Promotion Centre Finland

Translated with ChatGPT