(b. 1977)
Perttu Saksa is a Finnish contemporary artist. Saksa explores ideas of nature and our relationship to other animals, how natural resources are related to us and how nature transforms over geological as well as human historical time. How our histories are written. Saksa works with lens based media, photography, film and with sculpture, in stone and metal. Saksa graduated (MFA) in fine arts from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts and photography (BA) from the Lahti University of Applied Science and studied art in Icelandic Academy of Arts 1999.
Saksa's works have been exhibited in various galleries and museums around Europe, including Stadtgalerie Kiel, Felleshus Berlin and Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki City Art Museum and Kiasma – Contemporary Art Museum of Finland. His works can also be found in various public collections. Beside artistic work Saksa has done extensive work with commissioned photography, especially portraits. He's commissioned work has been awarded various times, including Grafia, New York Festivals and Edit competition awards.
Collections
State of Finland
Kiasma – Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki
Museum of Photography, Helsinki
The Polaroid Collection, Paris, France
Wihuri Collection
The Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation
Bildens Hus, Sundsvall, Sweden
The Niemistö Collection
Hämeenlinna Art Museum
Kuopio Art Museum
Rovaniemi City Art Museum
HAM, Helsinki City Art Museum
EMMA, Espoo Modern Art Museum
Mikkeli Art Museum
Saastamoinen Foundation Collection.
Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki.
Oulu City Art Museum.
Väre Collection, Aalto University
Miettinen Collection /Salon Dahlman
&.Private Collections
Education
2008
Master of Fine Arts, The Finnish Academy of Arts.
2001
Bachelor of Arts, The Lahti University of Applied Science.
1999
The Icelandic University of Arts
Selected Private Exhibitions
2023
Mikkeli Art Museum, Mikkeli, Fin
Think Corner, Helsinki University, Fin
2022
Kunsthalle Turku, Turku, Finland
Helsinki Contemporary, Helsinki, Finland
2021
HAM – Helsinki Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Laila Pullinen Sculpture Garden and Home Museum, Vantaa, Fin
2018
Helsinki Contemporary, Helsinki, Finland
Galleria Nuovo, Lahti, Finland
2015
Helsinki Contemporary, Helsinki, Finland
2014
Gallery Hippolyte, ARCO, Madrid
A Kind of You, Ratamo Gallery, Jyväskylä, Finland
2013
Helsinki Contemporary, Helsinki, Fin
TR1 Art Hall, Tampere, Fin
Barsokevitch Photographic Centre, Kuopio, Fin
2012
Echo, Galleria Laboratory, Helsinki
2007
Valokuvia 2002 – 2007 Mikkeli Art Museum
2006
Galleria Hippolyte, Helsinki
Wait Until Dark, Galeri Iron inc, Copenhagen
2005
Forever, Rantagalleria, Oulu, Fin
2003
Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, Fin
Public Works
2018
KARTTA, The Burial Monument of Mauno Koivisto
The President of Republic of Finland
Hietaniemi Cemetery, Helsinki, FIN
Selected Screenings
2022
R&A Helsinki Film Festival
2020
Animal Image, Periscope Lyon
2019
Animal Image, Institut Finlandais, Paris
2018
Chart Art Fair, Copenhagen
Tampere Short Film Festival
DocPoint Helsinki Documentary Film Festival
Espoo Cine
2016
Oulu Music Video Festival, Competition winner
Are Independent, Katowicke, Poland
Grants and Awards
William Thuring Prize, The Finnish Art Society, 2021
Pro Finlandia 2020
Grand prix XXXV Pärnu Film Festival 2020
Ars Fennica Nominee 2017
Kultapumpeli, Oulu Music Video Festival 2017
Fotofinlandia 1st. Prize 2014
Kone Foundation
Patricia Seppälä Foundation
Kordelin Foundation
Arts Council of Finland
Finnfoto ry.
The Finnish Art Societ, Young Artist Grant
Art Academy Scholarship
Finnish Cultural Foundation
Residencies
Villa Lante, Roma
Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Prague
The Saari Residence, Kone Foundation
Villa Karo, Benin
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024
Oulu Art Museum, Oulu, Fin
Korundi, Rovaniemi Art Museum, Fin
Otos, Jälki, Henki, The Pori Art Museum
Kuparipaja, Fiskars, Fin
2023
Otos, Jälki, Henki, The Pori Art Museum
2022
Aboa Vetus, Ars Nova Museum, Turku, Fin
Stadtgaleri Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Hämeenlinna Art Museum, Hämeenlinna, Fin
2021
Hämeenlinna Art Museum
Natural History Museum, London
Helsinki Contemporary, Helsinki, Fin
Jyväskylä Art museum, Jyväskylä, Fin
Nykyaika, Tampere, Fin
The Northern Photo Centre, Oulu, Fin
Mikkeli Photographic Centre, Mikkeli, Fin
Photographic Centre Peri, Turku, Fin
Culture Centre Vanha Paukku, Lapua, Fin
2020
Working On It, Helsinki Contemporary, Helsinki, Fin
Our Climate, Mikkeli Photographic Centre, Mikkeli, Fin
2019
Finnish Season, Finnish Institute Benelux, Brussels
Spazio Nobile, Brussels
Art Fair Suomi, Cable Factory, Helsinki
Chart, Charlottenburg Kunsthall, Copenhagen
2018
Ars Fennica, Kiasma– Contemporary Art Museum, Helsinki, Fin
Myyttinen Matka, Pohjanmaa Museum, Vaasa, Fin
Myyttinen Matka, Rauma Art Museum, Rauma, Fin
2017
Kemi Art museum, Kemi, Finland
Mythical Journey, The Finnish museum of Photography, Helsinki
Mythical Journey, Salo Art Museum, Salo, Finland
Kolga Tbilisi Photo, Tbilisi, Georgia
Animal and The Logic of Others, Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki
2016
Maiseman aika, Mikkelin Taidemuseo, Mikkeli
Viidakko Tulvii, Sinkka -Kerava Art Museum, Kerava
Festival of Political Photography, Helsinki
Still Life Studies, Jukka Male Museum, Helsinki
Sideways Festival, Suvilahti, Helsinki
2015
My Silence, Kuopio Art Museum, Kuopio, Fin
GuatePhoto, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Still Life, Jukka Male Museum, Helsinki, Finland
2014
Festival Horizonte, Zingst, Germany
Sand in Vaseline, Black Market, Berlin
Fotofinlandia Prize, Helsinki, Fin
The Pleasure of Negative Emotions, Knipsu, Bergen, Norway
Loviisa Contemporary, Loviisa, Finland
2013
Reality Bites, Kiasma – Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki
Black Market, Berlin
Traveling with the Artist, Kuopio City Art Museum, Kuopio, Fin
2012
Polaroid, The Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki
Sin, Photographic centre Peri, Turku
Art Fair Suomi, Helsinki, Fin
2011
Galeri Passage Du Desir, Paris
Oulu City Art Museum, Oulu
Galleri Zebra, Karis 2010
Art Fair Suomi
2009
New Generation, Etagi, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
2008
New Generation, Finnish Museum of Photography
Collection Works, Helsinki City Art Museum
Whats up man, Kerava Art Museum
2007
From North, Museum St. Peter an der Sperr, Neustadt, Austria
Northern Cities, Landesgalerie Eisenstadt, Eisenstadt, Austria
IAW, Peace Museum, Chicago , USA
Northern Cities, Vorarlberger Landesmuseum, Bregenz, Austria
2006
Northern Cities, Felleshus, Berlin
Northern Cities, Troms Kulturforening, Tromso, Norway
Sisu- Images from Finland, Gallery G4, Cheb, Chezch
Collection Works, Oulu City Art Museum
2005
Swan Song, Holden Gallery, Manchester
Stockholm Art Fair, Nordic Academies
Northern Cities, Kerava City Art Museum
Northern Cities, Oulu City Art Museum
Northern Cities, Aine Art Museum
2004
How to Send a Message, Kalemegdan, Belgrad
Someone Else's Problem, Balat, Istanbul
Art Hall Helsinki Galerie Lichtblick, Koln
2003
Globalism- meetings, Plovdiv Festival, Plovdiv, Bulgary
3/3, Bildens Hus Museet, Sundsvall, Sweden
3/3, Sanomatalo, Mediatori, Helsinki
3/3, Valokuvakeskus Peri, Turku
2002
Correlations, Fotoforum West, Innsbruck
Rajamaat, Victor Barsokevitch Museum, Kuopio
Correlations, Photo-Galeri Wien, Wien
Dissonansies and collisions, 6.th Phototage Herten
Aboa Vetus- Ars Nova, Turku
Light & Space, Art Hall, Helsinki
Savonlinna Art Museum
Dissonansies & Collisions, Kiel Stadt Galeri, Kiel