At this year's Market Art Fair, Helsinki Contemporary is proud to present a booth curated around the theme of contemporary representations of the human figure with works by three Finnish artists: Emma Ainala, Ville Andersson and Emma Sarpaniemi.
The three artists’ works are centered around the human figure, be it in the form of self-portraiture or by exploring conventions of portraiture, representations of gender or through ethereal minimalism. The concept of the gaze is always interwoven with the matter of representing the self and others, and it is also pervasive in many of the works on display.
Read more about our presentantion at Market Art Fair
Artists
Emma Ainala
Emma Ainala (b. 1989) is known for her detailed paintings that explore feminine mythologies and physical and digital spaces. The gaze, being looked at, and objectification are recurring themes in her oeuvre. Ainala’s dreamlike paintings are very much connected to the fast-paced online and offline phenomena of today, but, at the same time, reference art and cultural history.
Emma Ainala graduated from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in 2013. She took part in the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition 2018. In Finland, she’s had several solo museum shows, and her work has been widely exhibited in Europe, recently in group shows HYBRIDEN in Belgium and Magic Mirror in Greece in 2024.
Ville Andersson
Ville Andersson (b. 1986) is a versatile artist in his use of different media and styles. He often deals with the concept of emptiness and the possibilities of silence and quietude. Characteristics of Andersson’s aesthetic are allusiveness, minimalism, precision and understatement. At Market, Andersson presents works from his series of meticulous drawings that play on ephemeral photographic memories and glitches.
Andersson studied at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts. He received Finland’s Young Artist of the Year Award 2015. He’s exhibited widely in Finland and abroad at, e.g., EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art, the National Art Center Tokyo, Vitraria Glass +A Museum Venice, and FOMU Fotomuseum in Antwerp.
Emma Sarpaniemi (b. 1993) explores womanhood and femininity through performative photographs. In her self-portraits, the visible shutter release cable serves as a symbol of the subject being in control of their own image. For her photography is a medium of joy, empowering to dream of new possibilities of femininity, gender roles and the gaze.
Sarpaniemi graduated with from the Royal Academy of Art the Hague (KABK). She has exhibited in galleries, museums and festivals throughout Europe, most recently at NEVVEN gallery in Gothenburg and Jarmuschek+Partner in Berlin. Her most notable presentations include Les Rencontres d’Arles in 2023 and a solo show at Finnish Museum of Photography K1 in 2024.
Market Art Fair
16–18 May 2025
Liljevalchs konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden
marketartfair.com
Opening hours:
Thu 15 May (by invitation only)
Fri 16 May 11–15 (by invitation only)
Fri 16 May 15–20
Sat 17 May 11–18
Sun 18 May 11–17
Inquiries:
Director & Owner Olli Piippo: olli.piippo@helsinkicontemporary.com
Sales Director Katja Räisänen: katja.raisanen@helsinkicontemporary.com, +358 50 464 2911
Media inquiries:
Communications Manager Jaakko Uoti: jaakko.uoti@helsinkicontemporary.com, +358 50 554 8884
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