Stiina Saaristo | Serlachius

Stiina Saaristo is known for her large and skilfully detailed drawings, which are characterised by macabre humour and grotesque use of self-portraiture. Processing life’s pain points and difficult emotions has been at the heart of Saaristo’s career: her works make visible the use of power, jealousy, greed or aggression.

Saaristo perceptively depicts the rejected sides of humanity, yet there is always laughter on the surface of her works. Saaristo’s original style remains recognisable through different techniques. The Serlachius exhibition presents the artist’s drawings, oil paintings, graphics and ceramic sculptures from 1995–2025. The exhibition is curated by Laura Kuurne.

Artist Stiina Saaristo

Stiina Saaristo (born 1976, Kisko, Finland) is one of the most original artists of her generation. She graduated from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts in 2005, and lives and works in Helsinki.

Saaristo’s first solo exhibition was held at Forum Box in 2003. After that she has participated extensively in exhibitions in Finland and abroad, including MoMA PS1 in New York, the Cairo Biennale (2008) and the Ateneum’s major exhibition on the Kalevala (2009). Her most notable solo exhibitions include Ein kleines Monster at the Amos Anderson Art Museum in Helsinki (2010) and a solo exhibition at the Uppsala Art Museum (2016). She exhibited sculptures for the first time at Galleria Heino in Helsinki (2021).

Saaristo’s works are to be found in collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Wihuri Foundation, The Saastamoinen Foundation, the Sara Hildén Art Museum, Uppsala Art Museum, Tiftö Foundation, Nelimarkka-Foundation, the Heino Art Foundation as well as Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation, and numerous private collections in Finland and abroad.

In 2001, Saaristo was awarded a prize for her series of paintings in an exhibition of students graduating from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts. In 2015, she received the Finnish Art Society’s William Thuring Prize. The Kalevala Society awarded Saaristo the Akseli Gallen-Kallela Recognition Prize in 2024.

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Events related to the exhibition

Watch all the events

Museum card club: Opening of Stiina Saaristo's exhibition

Tampere–Serlachius–Tampere

14.30

—21.30

21.11.2025

Always Happy – Guided tour by the artist and curator

Serlachius Manor

13.00

—13.45

22.11.2025

Senior citizens' afternoon coffee

Serlachius Manor

13.00

—14.30

11.12.2025

Always Happy – Curator's guided tour

Serlachius Manor

14.00

—14.45

11.04.2026

Museum card club: Opening of Stiina Saaristo's exhibition

Tampere–Serlachius–Tampere

14.30

—21.30

21.11.2025

Always Happy – Guided tour by the artist and curator

Serlachius Manor

13.00

—13.45

22.11.2025

Senior citizens' afternoon coffee

Serlachius Manor

13.00

—14.30

11.12.2025

Always Happy – Curator's guided tour

Serlachius Manor

14.00

—14.45

11.04.2026