Leena Pukki
Leena Pukki (b. 1984) is a visual artist who is interested in interspecies relations, history, alternative realities, colors, and single cells organisms. Her techniques vary from media art to large-scale wall paintings, bio art and installation.
Pukki graduated with a master’s degree in art from Aalto University’s School of Arts and Design in 2015 and as a visual artist from Lahti Art Institute in 2007.
Pukki is a founding member of artist group Route Couture (2008-) and member of MUU ry. (a national interdisciplinary art organisation that represents and promotes new media art in Finland), AV- Arkki (The Center for Finnish Media Art), Bioart Society and Kuvasto (Finnish copyright society for artists working in the field of visual arts). She is also member of Miracle Workers Collective, that represented Finland in the Venice Biennale 2019.
Pukki is Chair of the Board of Cultural Co-operative Makasiini and member of board of Kiila ry. She lives and works in Cairo, Egypt and Helsinki, Finland.
CV
EDUCATION
2011-2015
MA, Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Helsinki. Master’s Programme in Fine Arts.
2014
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Departamento de Artes & Design (student exchange)
2003-2007
BA, Fine Arts, Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Fine Arts. Lahti.
2006
Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weissensee, Berlin, Germany (student exchange)
2000-2003
Savonlinna Senior Secondary School of Art and Music
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
A Flagellate Searching for Love, Poriginal gallery, Pori
The Time of a Slime Mold, Gallery Itä, Lappeenranta
2022
The Culture of the Female Bear, Gallery Huuto, Helsinki
2021
Inside Another Skin: Deep Diving, Central Library Oodi’s media art space Kuutio, Helsinki (with Karoliina Paappa)
Inside Another Skin, Gallery Rajatila, Tampere (with Karoliina Paappa)
2017
Normality, KOUTA gallery, Kouvola
2015
Squirrell wants to cut down the railway and other stories, Gallery Emil, Tampere
2014
Route Couture, Craft Museum of Finland, Jyväskylä
2009
Siipeilijät, Gallery Rajatila, Tampere
2009
Remains, Gallery 3h+k, Pori
SCREENINGS
2025
To Notice is to Remember, Bioart Society, Helsinki, Finland
Finnmark Flicker, Experimental cinema and moving images week, Kirkenes, Norway
Where do you come from, where do you belong?, Cable Factory, Helsinki, Finland
Manipulate Arts, Edinburgh, Scotland
2024
Over the Real International Video and Multimedia Art Festival, Lucca ja Pietrasanta, Italia
Yö Movies: Luontokeskeinen, Yö Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
2023
SASAFF NYC 2023, SLA Art Space, New York, USA
Margate Mushroom Club, Margate, England
Video Art Festival Turku, Kaikkeus/Cosmos, Turku, Finland
2022
Uppsala Short Film Festival, Deliciously Disgusting! Uppsala, Sweden
Fredrikstad Animation Festival, Nordic-Baltic Competition: Short Film. Fredrikstad, Norway
Minikino Film Week 8, Bali International Short Film Festival, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
Animatrix, Experimental competition, Helsinki, Finland
International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, AV-arkki’s distributors’ screening, Germany
Internationales Frauen Film Fest Dortmund + Köln, Parts of the Whole, Köln, Germany
2021
Kyiv International Short Film Festival
Tampere Film Festival, Liikkumatilaa- screening, Tampere, Finland
2020
Pleasure Dome/ Skin Deep, Toronto, Canada
This Is How We Walk on the Moon, Gallery Titanik, Turku, Finland
2019
Pori Art Museum, Rappu screening program
SELECTED JURIED AND CURATED EXHIBITIONS
2024
MediataideTori, MUU Helsinki Contemporary Art Centre, Helsinki
Ihmemaa X, kauppakaari 1, Kerava
2022
La Foresta Invisible/ The Invisible Forest, Make- Spazio espositivo Palazzo Manin, Udine, Italy
2021
Island of Empathy, HAA-gallery, Helsinki
Pixelache Festival 2021 #Burn, Central Library Oodi, Helsinki
2020
Nytkäys, Lappeenranta Art Museum
2019
A Greater Miracle of Perception, Miracle Workers Collective. Finnish Alvar Aalto Pavilion at the 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.
Young Artists 2019, Kunsthalle Helsinki
GRANTS
2025
Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Project Grant for Media Art
2024
Avek, Scriptwriting grant
Karjalan kulttuurirahasto, tapahtuma-avustus
Avek, Media Art project grant
2022
Avek, Support for International Promotion
Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Art Council of Southeast Finland, project grant
Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Project Grant for Media Art
2021
Avek, Media Art project grant (Inside Another Skin- working group)
Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Covid 19- grant
The Finnish Cultural Foundation, 1 year working grant
2020
Avek, Media Art project grant (Inside Another Skin- working group)
Oskar Öflund Foundation, working grant
Avek, Media Art project grant
2019
Avek, Media Art project grant
2018
Paulo Foundation, project grant (Inside Another Skin- working group)
Arts Promotion Center South Savo, project grant
WORKS IN COLLECTIONS
Finnish State Art Deposit Collection
AWARDS, STIPENDS, COMPETITIONS
2023
Competition for public game artwork in Valkeala Community Center, second phase, työryhmä Leena Pukki ja Karoliina Paappa
2019
The Maecenas Guild’s young artist prize, From an exhibition Young Artists 2019, Kunsthalle Helsinki
2015
Academic Excellence Award, Aalto University, MA Program in Fine Arts
2010
Stipend for Professional Artists, City of Tampere.
2009
Stipend for Young Artists, Tampereen Saskiat ry.
ARTIST TALKS, PRESENTATIONS, LECTURES
2024
Taiteesta ja taistelusta- discussion, Kulttuurivihkot, Tekstin talo, Helsinki, Finland, November 9.
Crawling Beauty, Slime Mold Workshop, Digital National Gallery programme, Finnish National Gallery, Helsinki, Finland, June 5and 18
Artist talk, BioMaker Studio, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland, November 29.
2021
Ääreen Artist talk, Animation Guild, Central Library Oodi Animaatiokilta, October 10.
2020
Artist talk, Museoklubi, Lappeenranta Art Museum (online due to pandemic). April 1.
Visiting artist talk, Art School MAA, Helsinki, Finland. September 3.
2019
On Slime Mold and Descision Making. A Greater Miracle of Perception: The Berlin Iteration. Stiftung Brandenburger Tor,The Finnish Institute in Germany and Frame Contemporary Art Finland, Berlin, Germany, April 3.
Yli Violetin, Art Linnakallio Goes Baana symposium, Kempele, Finland, August 30.
2014
On Utopian Communities and Art. How should one live this life? Social gathering organized by Jaana Kokko. Ptarmigan, Tallinn, Estonia. September 19.
Scandinavian Punks- Activism in Art. Lecture and workshop. Rajakeskiviikko, Gallery Rajatila, Tampere. November 5.
2013
Route Couture, Pecha Kucha, Tampere Architecture and Design Week. August 28.
PUBLIC COMISSIONED MURALS
2022
Dreams, Taavetti school, Luumäki.
2019
Kis kis kissamies, Kirkkokatu, Lappeenranta.
What did you see while flying?, Kempele, Baana.
2016
Meeting (From the series Utopia), Garikula, Akhalkalaki, Georgia. Fest I Nova art festival
PUBLICATIONS
2019
Leena Pukki and Sonya Lindfors: Future Poet. In Miracle Workers Collective: A Greater Miracle of Perception, Archive Books 2019.
2017
Leena Pukki, Karoliina Paappa, Stina Riikonen and Lari Lätti: Route Couture. Into kustannus 2017. Edited by Leena Pukki and Karoliina Paappa