Taru Happonen
Taru Happonen (b. 1989, Lahti, FI) is a visual artist living and working in Helsinki. She graduated in 2023 with a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki.
In her works, the environment and organisms are examined from a microscopic close and far away from a cosmic scale. The works are speaking of the meaning of wonder – viewing the world as it is, complex, and constantly changing.
Happonen’s expression has figurative features that break down into abstract. She uses a wide range of materials such as oil paint, recycled plastic, linen, wood, and plastic bags. In the works, different patterns, shapes, and materials form links to each other. Organic and inorganic are irrevocably intertwined.
Taru Happonen has exhibited her works actively in Finland and abroad, most recently in the Cosmic Zoom solo exhibition at Galleria Forum Box in Helsinki and in a group exhibition Synthesis at Saatchi Gallery in London, which was curated by Delphian Gallery. Her works are included in the Finnish State Art Deposit Collection and HUS (Helsinki University Hospital) art collection as well as in private collections in Finland and abroad.
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ParasiteTaru Happonen, Parasite, oil on recycled plastic, 74 cm x 62 cm x 2 cm ,2022. Photo: Taru Happonen.
No limbs, no eyesTaru Happonen, No limbs, no eyes, oil and pearlescent pigment on linen, 130 cm x 110 cm x 4 cm ,2022. Photo: Taru Happonen.
Electric currentTaru Happonen, Electric current, oil on linen, frames made of recycled plastic, 76 cm x 63 cm x 4 cm ,2022. Photo: Taru Happonen.
Endless forms most beautifulTaru Happonen, Endless forms most beautiful, oil and pearlescent pigment on linen, 200 cm x 265 cm x 4 cm ,2022. Photo: Taru Happonen.
Cosmic zoomTaru Happonen, Cosmic zoom, oil and pearlescent pigment on linen, frames made of recycled plastic, 76 cm x 63 cm x 4 cm ,2022. Photo: Taru Happonen.
SensoryTaru Happonen, Sensory, oil on recycled plastic, 74 cm x 62 cm x 2 cm ,2022. Photo: Taru Happonen.
Ice-capped butterflyTaru Happonen, Ice-capped butterfly, oil and pearlescent pigment on linen, frames made of recycled plastic, 76 cm x 63 cm x 4 cm ,2022. Photo: Taru Happonen.
HormesisTaru Happonen, Hormesis, oil on recycled plastic, 74 cm x 62 cm x 2 cm ,2022. Photo: Taru Happonen.
CrypsisTaru Happonen, Crypsis, oil and gesso on linen, 180 cm x 140 cm x 4 cm ,2022. Photo: Taru Happonen.
Taru Happonen, An invasive speciesPainting installation. Exhibited in the group exhibition Ebb and Flow at Kuva/Tila gallery at the Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki. Photo: Aukusti Heinonen
Taru Happonen, An invasive species (detail)Painting installation. Exhibited in the group exhibition Ebb and Flow at Kuva/Tila gallery at the Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki.
Taru Happonen , An invasive species (detail)Painting installation. Exhibited in the group exhibition Ebb and Flow at Kuva/Tila gallery at the Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki.