Anniina Koivurova

Artist and Intuition

I remember standing in the yard of my middle school as a teenager, wearing a screamingly yellow woolen coat, partly of my own design. The quilted lining glowed burgundy. The spontaneous fabric choice tugged at my emotions throughout the demanding sewing process—even while wearing the coat. In my memories, the coat still encapsulates the challenges and persistence involved in artistic thinking and problem-solving.

My image-making is an act of immersion and focus, guided by hand and eye. Trust in intuition is essential: I create images both spontaneously and meditatively, allowing the mind to wander quietly through the process. Visual art, to me, is thinking and feeling through the hands. The result is always a surprise.

My artistic practice includes both broad strokes and meticulous detail. I use numerous techniques and strive to learn new ones. My works span both abstract and representational subjects. I create drawings, paintings, prints, and ceramics using various materials, as well as installations, videos, crochet works, and transparency weaving. Vivid watercolors are characteristic of my style. My works often contain references to the fleeting nature and timelessness of life.

Art Historian in the North

As an art historian, my background in art education colors my work. It partly guides my research choices. I have studied contemporary artists from the North and/or those linked to northern themes, such as Aimo Kanerva and Teuvo Tuomivaara. I am currently co-editing a book on Reidar Särestöniemi with my colleague Jonna Katajamäki. The book includes articles written by students.

In recent years, I have also delved into drawings, watercolor paintings, and paper cutouts made by children in Lapland during the post-war reconstruction period, specifically from 1946 and 1947. Studying these images reveals cultural, societal, and social insights into the children’s lived worlds and the ethos of that era. The children’s works contain numerous references to the imagery that influenced them. These nearly 80-year-old images from the reconstruction era can help us reflect on today’s visual culture.

In October 2025, a project titled Early Education in Museums for an Inclusive Future will begin, which I am coordinating. Our partners are from Norway, Italy, and Romania—and here in the North, our collaborators include the Rovaniemi Art Museum and the Northern Sámi language nest (day care centre Davvisámegiela giellabeassi) in Rovaniemi.

Examples of my Art

Above: In the first example, I drew a small piece of root that fit in the palm of my hand. I explored it by touch and drew without looking at the paper or the piece of wood. The other work was painted using a pine branch.

Red. Carborundum. 2024

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I practice slow, mindful making, experimenting with the transparency weaving technique.

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Art in Exhibitions

Näkyväksi tehty. Galleria Valo, elokuu 2025.
Tyhjät ajatukset. 2025. Keramiikka.

Heinäkuu25. Galleria Napa. Lapin taiteilijaseura 5.7.-29.7.2025.
Sormin nähtynä. 2024. Hiili paperille.

Takun neljäs joulu, Galleria Lovisa, Lapin yliopisto 30.11.2024-1.1.2025.
Punainen. 2024. Muste ja väkikynät kankaalle.

Oho, se on peilikuva! Galleria Kellari ja Kopio, Lapin yliopisto 26.11.-12.12.2024.
Kokeilevaa grafiikkaa (omakuvia, “ikoneita”), Lapin yliopiston Avoimen yliopisto, kokeilevan grafiikan kurssin yhteisnäyttely.

Yhä täytyy KUVATA! Lapin kuvataideopettajat ry KUVATA 25 vuotta. Galleria Kajo ja Kellari, Lapin yliopisto. 24.9. –10.10.2024.
Luopuminen. 2024. Hiili, muste ja akryyli paperille; Ailanka I. 2024. Tussi paperille; Ailanka II. 2024. Tussi ja hiekka paperille; Kuinka kesyttää lohikäärme. 2022. Keramiikka ja luppo-oksat; Kartano. 2024. Keramiikka; Planeetta. 2022. Keramiikka; Kruunu. 2022. Keramiikka.

Lovisan kesä VII. Galleria Lovisa, Lapin yliopisto 1.6. –23.8.2024
Sudenkorento I ja Sudenkorento II. 2024. Kuvakudos.

Tällä matkalla, Galleria Valo, Lapin yliopisto. 22.9.-13.10.2024.
Punajalkahaperon puhe. 2024. Tempera MDF-levylle; Kadonnut ikebana. 2024. Tempera MDF-levylle.

Minä.Minä.Minä.Nyt! Takun joulu 2023. Galleria Lovisa, Lapin yliopisto, 1.12.-2023–2.1.2024.
Nielu. Muste ja värikynä kankaalle. 1 x 1 m.

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Links to research articles

Koululaiset kotiseudun representoijina toisen maailmansodan jälkeen Suomen Länsi-Lapissa ja Ruotsin Tornionlaaksossa

Enemmän kuin osiensa summa