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JARKKO RANTANEN

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Born 1980 in Ähtäri, Finland

Works in Turku, Finland.

 

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Jarkko Rantanen paints landscapes, portraits and still lifes. These three basic motifs are the foundation of his work, although he uses them freely and constantly seeks new points of view. Art history serves as a great inspiration for Rantanen.

He has painted landscape paintings over the last ten years. For example, in the exhibition at tm-galleria 2019, he displayed a painting installation called Voyage pittoresque. The installation had 90 paintings all painted on aluminium panels. Rantanen collected the motifs for the paintings, varying from a modest pothole to massive mountainsides around Europe. All these places had some traces of human influence. Most of them had been battlefields earlier, but now they were taken over by nature.

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Rantanen’s latest project has dealt with portrait painting. When covid closed society, he invited people to sit as models at his studio. The idea was to meet and paint different people as a sort of everyday activity. He started with his colleagues but ended up painting total strangers. Over 60 people have been portrayed so far, and the paintings will be exhibited at Turku Kunsthalle in 2023.

Rantanen paints primarily with oils on different surfaces. He uses canvas as well as aluminium and composite panels. He works fast and uses his fingers and spatulas as well as brushes to achieve the desired result. His painting style could be described as expressive, but there is realism and even a hint of meticulousness in his work.

 

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CV

 

 

EDUCATION

 

2002 – 2006 Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Arts Academy

                     at Turku University of Applied Sciences (FI)

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2001 – 2002 Orivesi College of Arts, Department of Visual Arts (FI)

 

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

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2023 Kunsthalle Turku (FI)

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2020 Galleria Joella, Turku (FI)

         Galleria Becker, Jyväskylä (FI)

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2019 tm-galleria, Helsinki (FI)

         Mökki galleria, Kaarina (FI)

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2018 Galleria Å, Turku (FI)

         Poriginal Galleria, Pori (FI)

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2017 Mältinranta Art Center, Gallery, Tampere (FI)

         Galleria Uusi Kipinä, Lahti (FI)

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2016 Pirkanpohja Art Centre, Blue House, Ähtäri (FI)

         Summer Show in Pinxinmäki, Sysmä (FI)

         Auran Galleria, Turku (FI)

 

2015 Vanhan Raatihuoneen Galleria, Turku (FI)

 

2011 Kulttuurigrilli, Pispala, Tampere (FI)

 

2010 Galleria Joella, Turku (FI)

 

2009 Galleria Jangva, Helsinki (FI)

         Galleria Rajatila, Tampere (FI)

 

2006 Köysiratagalleria, Turku (FI)

 

2005 Pirkanlinna, Ähtäri (FI)

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SELECTED GROUP AND JOINT EXHIBITIONS

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2023 Turku Artists' Association 99th Annual Exhibition, Kunsthalle Turku (FI)

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2022 Turku Artists' Association 98th Annual Exhibition, Kunsthalle Turku (FI)

         Overflow, Visual artists of Taiteen talo, Taiteen talo, Turku (FI)

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2021 Sykli, Turku Artists' Association Members Exhibition, Loimaan Taidetalo (FI)

         Turku Artists' Association 97th Annual Exhibition, Kunsthalle Turku (FI)

         15 Artists, Pirkanpohja Art Centre, Ähtäri (FI)

 

2017 Together (Yhdessä), Ostrobothnia Art Society, theme exhibition, Seinäjoki Art Hall (FI)

         Finnish Painters’ Union summer exhibition in Heinävesi Cultural church, Heinävesi (FI)

         Turku Artists' Association 93rd Annual Exhibition, Galleria Å, Turku (FI)

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2015 Landscape, Union of Finnish Art Associations, Cultural Center Poleeni, Pieksämäki (FI)

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2014 Many touches with Reality, Turku Drawing Society, Gallery Toolbox, Berlin (DE)

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2011 Otanta – Turku 2011, Art Center Voipaala, Valkeakoski (FI)

         On the Surface (Pinnalla) – kesänäyttely, Orimattila Art Museum (FI)

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2010 Väärin piirretty, Turku Drawing Society, Turku Art Museum (FI)

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2008 New Painting, Lahti Art Museum, Lahti (FI)

         Ars Kärsämäki, Exhibition of the Young Artists, Art House Nahkuri, Kärsämäki (FI)

         Turku Artists' Association 84th Annual Exhibition, Turku (FI)

         It’s Nothing Personal, Arte 20 years Exhibition, Titanik Gallery, Turku (FI)

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GRANTS

 

2023 The Finnish Cultural Foundation, 6 months working grant

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2022 The Finnish Cultural Foundation, Mobility Grant

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2021 The Finnish Cultural Foundation, Varsinais-Suomi

         Regional Fund, One-year grant

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         Arts Promotion Centre Finland, COVID-19 grant for

         working period of two months

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2020 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Public Display Grant

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         Turku Art Society, Residency Grant

 

2018 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Regional office of

         Southwest Finland, Artistic work

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2017 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Regional office of

         Southwest Finland, Project Grant

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2016 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Regional office of

         Southwest Finland, Project Grant

 

2015 Finnish Art Society, The Young Artist Grant

 

2010 Arts Council of Southwest Finland, Project Grant

 

2009 Paulo Foundation, Project Grant

 

2008 Turun Saskiat ry, Project Grant

 

2006 Turku School of Arts Grant

 

2002 Orivesi College of Arts, Visual Art Grant

 

 

WORKS IN COLLECTIONS

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The Collection of Finnish State Art Commission

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The Aine Art Museum, Tornio (FI)

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Salo Art Museum (FI)

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City of Turku (FI)

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City of Naantali (FI)

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City of Ähtäri (FI)

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T-hospital Art Collections, Turku (FI)

 

Private collections