Katja Tukiainen
Katja Tukiainen was born year 1969 in Pori (Latin: Arctopolis). Katja’s strong and witty grandmother lived with her family, practicing yoga and oil painting. Young Katja followed the path of her granny and started to study both. So she has traveled the world doing yoga and presenting her paintings.
Katja got well known for her pink girl paintings already in the middle of 1990’s. Katja’s painted degree for The Doctor of Fine Arts at The Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki got ready year 2022 and is called The Girl Army –Narrative painting in space. Katja’s kind but not harmless Girl Army talks to you in her oil paintings and installations. She is painting with oil on linen but uses also spray paint as a memory from her paintings she made as a teen in underpasses.
Katja is transforming both visual ideas from history and sayings emphasizing male supremacy to depict open-minded humanity in her paintings. The girls in her paintings are both innocent and sassy, and she wants to create places of painted enchantment for any gender.
Behind every great GIRL there is a GIRL and The GIRL is measured by her enemies, says Katja and adds: “Only the pure in heart shall see the unicorn”.
“Trust me, I’m a GIRL.” – Katja Tukiainen
Featured artwork
Katja Tukiainen, Paradis K at Kiasma, Museum of contemporary artKatja Tukiainen, Katja Tukiainen, Paradis K at Kiasma, Museum of contemporary art, Oil on canvases, light pulps, wall painting and animation on the walls of KIASMA, 800 cm x 800 cm x 800 cm ,2012. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Delacroix et moi, solo exhibition at Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, 2020Katja Tukiainen, Delacroix et moi, solo exhibition at Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, 2020, oil on canvases and the light sculpture, 2020. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Étude de deux tigresKatja Tukiainen, Étude de deux tigres, Oil and alkyd spray paint on linen canvas, 150 cm x 200 cm x 4 cm ,2019. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Dante et Virgile aux enfersKatja Tukiainen, Dante et Virgile aux enfers, Oil on linen canvas, 150 cm x 200 cm x 4 cm ,2019. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
La Liberté guidant le peupleKatja Tukiainen, La Liberté guidant le peuple, Oil on linen canvas, 200 cm x 200 cm x 4 cm ,2019. Photo: La Liberté guidant le peuple.
The Secret Society solo exhibition at Makasiini Conteporary, Turku, 2023Katja Tukiainen, The Secret Society solo exhibition at Makasiini Conteporary, Turku, 2023, Oil on canvases, 2023. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Obey the pussycatsKatja Tukiainen, Obey the pussycats, Oil and alkyd spray paint on linen canvas, 200 cm x 200 cm x 4 cm ,2023. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Bambi & The GIRL handsignsKatja Tukiainen, Bambi & The GIRL handsigns, Oil on canvas, 30 cm x 20 cm x 3 cm ,2023. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
yteicoS terceS ehTKatja Tukiainen, yteicoS terceS ehT, Oil on linen canvas, 150 cm x 150 cm x 4 cm ,2023. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Oh, it’s so misty, do you know the way? Trust me, I’m a GIRL.Katja Tukiainen, Oh, it’s so misty, do you know the way? Trust me, I’m a GIRL., oil on panel, 71 cm x 71 cm x 4 cm ,2022. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
The strong GIRL is strongest togetherKatja Tukiainen, The strong GIRL is strongest together, Oil on mdf-board, 50 cm x 50 cm x 3 cm ,2023. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Trust the GIRLKatja Tukiainen, Trust the GIRL, Oil on mdf-board, 50 cm x 50 cm x 3 cm ,2023. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Act like a GIRLKatja Tukiainen, Act like a GIRL, Oil on mdf-panel, 50 cm x 50 cm x 3 cm ,2023. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Password is a GIRLKatja Tukiainen, Password is a GIRL, Oil and alkyd spray paint on mdf-board, 50 cm x 50 cm x 3 cm ,2023. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Be a GIRL whenever possible, it’s always bossibleKatja Tukiainen, Be a GIRL whenever possible, it’s always bossible, Oil on mdf-panel, 50 cm x 50 cm x 3 cm ,2023. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Girls grossingKatja Tukiainen, Girls grossing, oil on canvas, 150 cm x 200 cm x 4 cm ,2022. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Once you’ve ruined your reputation you can live like a GIRLKatja Tukiainen, Once you’ve ruined your reputation you can live like a GIRL, oil on canvas, 150 cm x 150 cm x 4 cm ,2020 - 2022. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Katja Tukiainen, Fear no GirlOil and spray paint on canvas, 200 x 200 cm, 2021. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Katja Tukiainen, Liberte, Egalite, SororireOil and spray paint on canvas, 200 x 200 cm, 2020 – 2021. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Katja Tukiainen, The Pure in Heart Shall See the UnicornOil and spray paint on canvas, 150 x 200 cm, 2021. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Katja Tukiainen, Faith Hope and LoveOil and spray paint on canvas, 200 x 200 cm, 2021. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Katja Tukiainen, Behind every great GIRL there is a GIRLOil and spray paint on canvas, 200 x 150 cm, 2017. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
Katja Tukiainen, What would a GIRL doOil and spray paint on canvas, 200 x 150 cm, 2017. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.
GIRLS will be GIRLSKatja Tukiainen, GIRLS will be GIRLS, Oil, alkyd and spray paint on linen canvas, 200 cm x 150 cm x 4 cm ,2017. Photo: Katja Tukiainen.