Petra Innanen

Petra Innanen

Petra Innanen is a multidisciplinary artist working with painting, ceramics, embroidery and performance art in the form of burlesque.

She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki from the painting department in 1992 and made her masters in 1997. Later on she has studied ceramics as well as interior design.

Her work has a strong sense of storytelling, however, often the original idea springs from color, a contrast, a flash of lightning, a reflection. For Innanen the choice of media is a way to connect with her themes, painting can be done on canvas but it can also be embroided onto a pillowcase, it can be a 3-dimensional ceramic object, or it can be moving on stage in the form of a burlesque performance, kind of a moving sculpure.

Petra Innanen has been studying transformation, built identities and different roles troughout her career. She gets inpired by the oddities of everyday life but also the far ends of exaggeration, gets drawn into the drama of old Hollywood divas versus a brutal punk rock show, she loves strong female characters, subcultures and weird fairytales. As a passionate gardener she studies the methaphorical lifecycles of nature, the sensuality of flowers, the longing of a new beginning and the melancholy of fading beauty.

Her work is included in collections such as Oulu Art museum, Finnish state, Helsinki City, Amos Rex, Saastamoinen collection. She has been awarded with the William Thuring prize and has exhibited her work in both museums and galleries. Her performances have been seen in museums, galleries and various venues internationally and domestically e.g. in New York, Paris, Venice, Rome, Los Angeles.

 

Location

Uusimaa

Born

1970

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Featured artwork

Pilvinen Päivä / Cloudy DayPetra Innanen, Pilvinen Päivä / Cloudy Day, Acrylic on canvas, 46 cm x 38 cm x 2 cm ,2024. Photo: Petra Innanen.

PerhapsPetra Innanen, Perhaps, Acrylic on canvas, 46 cm x 38 cm x 2 cm ,2024. Photo: Petra Innanen.

Kultainen Joutsen / Golden SwanPetra Innanen, Kultainen Joutsen / Golden Swan, Acryli on canvas, 46 cm x 38 cm x 2 cm ,2024. Photo: Petra Innanen.

In the shadow of your smilePetra Innanen, In the shadow of your smile, Acrylic on canvas, 46 cm x 38 cm x 2 cm ,2024. Photo: Petra Innanen.

Pink Pony Parlor, World Famous *BOB*, Brooklyn NY (Project Petunia and the Portraits)Petra Innanen, Pink Pony Parlor, World Famous *BOB*, Brooklyn NY (Project Petunia and the Portraits), Acrylic on canvas, 200 cm x 180 cm x 2 cm ,2020. Photo: Petra Innanen.

Scotty and his violin, Berlin (Project Petunia and the Portraits)Petra Innanen, Scotty and his violin, Berlin (Project Petunia and the Portraits), Acrylic on canvas, 150 cm x 170 cm x 2 cm ,2021. Photo: Petra Innanen.

Tigger! in paradise, NYCPetra Innanen, Tigger! in paradise, NYC, Acrylic on canvas, 160 cm x 120 cm x 2 cm ,2021. Photo: Petra Innanen.

Midnight in Manhattan, Dirty Martini, NYCPetra Innanen, Midnight in Manhattan, Dirty Martini, NYC, Acrylic on canvas, 180 cm x 160 cm x 2 cm ,2021. Photo: Petra Innanen.

Self -portrait with the dogPetra Innanen, Self -portrait with the dog, Acrylic on canvas, 180 cm x 160 cm x 2 cm ,2020. Photo: Petra Innanen.

Middle-aged female artist looking at the past ( Oulu Art Museum )Petra Innanen, Middle-aged female artist looking at the past ( Oulu Art Museum ), Ceramic sculpture, 55 cm x 35 cm x 30 cm ,2021. Photo: Petra Innanen.

Petunia and the portraitsPetra Innanen, Petunia and the portraits, Exhibition view tm gallery, - cm x - cm x - cm ,2021. Photo: Petra Innanen.

Demon whispersPetra Innanen, Demon whispers, Ceramic sculpture, 45 cm x 30 cm x -24 cm ,2021. Photo: Petra Innanen.

Exhibition view ( Secret garden, Galleria Ahjo, Joensuu)Petra Innanen, Exhibition view ( Secret garden, Galleria Ahjo, Joensuu), installation, - cm x - cm x - cm ,2022. Photo: Petra Innanen.

Curriculum Vitae

Download CV (.pdf)