Perttu Saksa
Photo: Veikko Kähkönen
Perttu Saksa's photographs are dark, mesmerizing portraits, breath-taking landscapes and still lifes. He uses documentary-like photography mixed with staging and fictive narratives. His body of work consists of strong thematic units. These resemble anthropological and philosophical-ethical studies in the form of powerful visual artworks. Saksa's art consistently focuses on the boundaries between humanity and nature, on our relationship with the environment, and especially animals. By using animals as subjects, Saksa challenges us to examine the way we perceive ourselves.
Perttu Saksa (b. 1977) graduated (MFA) in fine arts from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts and photography (BA) from the LAB University of Applied Science and studied arts at the Iceland University of the Arts (1999). Saksa is a recipient of the Fotofinlandia Prize (2014), the most important photography award in Finland. In 2019, he was awarded the Pro Finlandia medal. Saksa has exhibited in numerous galleries and museums around Europe, including Stadtgalerie Kiel, Felleshus Berlin, the Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki City Art Museum HAM and the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma. His works are included in a number of public collections, e.g. Espoo Museum of Modern Art EMMA and Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma. Saksa was nominated for the Ars Fennica Prize in 2017. His proposal won the design competition for President Mauno Koivisto's burial monument in 2018.
Exhibitions
18.11.-22.12.2022
7.7.-31.7.2021
10.1.-2.2.2020
5.10.-28.10.2018
6.3.-1.4.2015
4.10.-27.10.2013
Works
17
Nov 2024
Perttu Saksa's "Animal Image" screened at Philharmonie de Paris on Nov 19
Perttu Saksa's film Animal Image will be screened at Philharmonie de Paris on Tuesday November 19, 2024. For this screening and concert, musicians Sylvain Rifflet, Verneri Pohjola and Mika Kallio will re-improvise live the soundtrack created for...
18
Apr 2022
12
Nov 2020
25
Aug 2019
Helsinki Contemporary presents at CHART Art Fair 2019 a curated duo of works by Heidi Lampenius and Perttu Saksa
Helsinki Contemporary is proud to present at CHART ART FAIR 2019 a curated duo of works by photographic artist Perttu Saksa and painter Heidi Lampenius. Both artists explore elements of the environment and nature, but from a...
31
Aug 2018
15
Jun 2018
09
Apr 2018
Perttu Saksa wins design competition for ex-president Mauno Koivisto's graveside monument
Perttu Saksa: Kartta / Photo: Prime Minister's Office FinlandArtist, photographer Perttu Saksa's piece Kartta (Map) has been selected as the graveside monument for deceased former Finnish president Mauno Koivisto. The memorial will be erected in...
18
Jan 2018
09
Oct 2017
24
Mar 2015
06
Mar 2015
09
Mar 2015
24
Mar 2015
17
Oct 2012
Sanna Kannisto, Tuomas A. Laitinen & Perttu Saksa in Kiasma’s new collection exhibition
The Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma’s new collection exhibition Tosi Kyseessä (Reality Bites) explores the use of documentarism in contemporary art and the changes of documentarism in different media and their impact on the content of...
04
Jan 2013
25
Apr 2013
16
May 2013
10
Oct 2013
31
Oct 2013
06
Nov 2013
02
Jan 2014
06
Feb 2014
07
Mar 2014
30
Apr 2014
03
Jun 2014
02
Jul 2014
25
Aug 2014
17
Sep 2014
26
Sep 2014
Commercial Works by Perttu Saksa at Helsinki Railway Station
Perttu Saksa has taken a series of portraits of Finnish cows for a public exhibition comissioned by the Finnish dairy product company Valio. The series reflects more the identity of the animals than their symbolic value as often seen in...
30
Nov 2022
17
Nov 2022
10
Jun 2020
23
Oct 2018
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