“In my oil paintings, I depict people with an emphasis on carnality. Through my paintings, I consider what a person would be like if viewed realistically. The pursuit of realism ultimately leads to an over-reaching lack of embellishment that permeates not only the external but also the internal essence of a person.

The paintings exude social criticism: in a time when alienation from each other and nature is accelerating, I reflect on how distortedly a person perceives their place in the overall picture of which they are a part. At the heart of the painting series is the product of an individual-centered culture: a person who focuses above all on themselves. The large-scale figures appear as protagonists immersed in their own worlds, and the skin as the boundary between the inner and outer worlds – between the self and the other – that feels impossible to cross.”

– Johanna Saikkonen

Johanna Saikkonen (b.1998) lives and works in Helsinki. She graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in 2024.

Read more:
www.johannasaikkonen.com