Mäkilä Jarmo

Jarmo Mäkilä (b. 1952, Rauma, Finland) is known for his versatility and ability to evolve his artistic expression. He combines historical and contemporary elements together with rich, baroque-like expression. The starting point is autobiographical: the themes usually revolve around the journey from childhood to adulthood and the acceptance of the past. Currently, his expressive work has been freed and solidified, as his boy-series have travelled ever further into the three-dimensional world in the form of sculptures and installations. Within the forest scenery, finely detailed drawing combines with expressive painting, while the interiors, respectively, contain photo-like quality refinement and clear composition displaying scenes of stage play.

 The political movements and radical atmosphere of the late 1960s and early 1970s were reflected in Mäkiläs early work. He painted in dark shades employing a realistic approach, and his subject matter featured working class themes. Later influences on Mäkilä's expression included art history, comics, and images from the rock-n-roll and film industries. Particularly in the 1980s, Mäkilä's topics were generated from popular culture and the phenomenon of consumer society. His ability to couple images from the media with mythological themes made him one of the most significant postmodern artists in Finland.

 In recent years of his 40-year artistic career, Mäkilä has been internationally active. His work has been widely exhibited in galleries, museums and art fairs worldwide. He studied at the University of Helsinki's School of Art and Design, and in the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts. Mäkilä was awarded the Pro Finlandia-medal in 2002 and a Carnegie Art Award nominee in 2011. Mäkilä's artworks have been collected by all major art museums in Finland, as well as by foundations, institutions and private collections around the world.

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Awards

2018

• Rauma city Medal, Rauma, Finland
• Award of Hämeenlinna city Asema aukio open Art Competition, Hämeenlinna, Finland

2016

• Award of Helsinki city Frederikan Terassi open Art Competition, Helsinki, Finland
• Award of Helsinki city Kalasatama open Art Competition 2, Helsinki, Finland

2012

• Carnegie Art awards nomination, Sweden

2002

• Pro Finlandia, Helsinki, Finland

1985

• The wall painting competition, Kuopio, Finland
• Biennale Balticum Award, Rauma, Finland

1983

• Finnish Artists’ Association Award, Helsinki, Finland

1981

• Helsinki city wall painting competition honorary Award, Helsinki, Finland

1977

• Gulf of Bothnia biennale (Rauma Biennale Balticum) medal, Helsinki, Finland

1974

• Pablo Neruda –competition Honorary Award

1973

• Finnish Art Society Ducat award, Helsinki, Finland

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Primary solo exhibitions

2020

• "Land of Shadow", Forsblom gallery, Helsinki, Finland

2019

• "Landscapes of Consciousness", Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia

2017

• Retrospective, Sara Hilden Artmuseum, Tampere, Finland
• Unheimliche, Galerie Michael Schultz, Berlin, Germany

2015

• Mirror Neuron, Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland

2014

• LUX Art Institute, San Diego, USA

2013

• "Masculine ventriloquism", Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland

2012

• Pori art museum, Pori, Finland
• Galerie Michael Schultz, Berlin, Germany

2011

• Galerie Favardin & De Verneuil, Paris, France
• Gallerie Koivulinna, Pukkila, Finland

2010

• Galerie Michael Schultz, Berlin, Germany
• Galleria Heino, Helsinki, Finland
• Galerie Michael Schultz, Seoul, South Korea

2009

• Salo Art Museum, Salo, Finland
• Galleria Pictor, Nummela, Finland

2008

• Helsinki City art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
• Galleria Orton, Helsinki, Finland

2007

• Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland

2005

• Seinäjoki Art Hall, Seinäjoki, Finland

2004

• Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland
• Galleria Ismo Mälkki, Tampere, Finland
• Rauma Art Museum, Rauma, Finland
• Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Sweden

2003

• Gallery Eve Pinomaa, Hanko, Finland

2002

• Amos Rex (Amos Anderson Art Museum), Helsinki, Finland

1999

• Varkaus Art Museum, Varkaus, Finland
• Pukkila Art house, Pukkila, Finland

1998

• "Aavekaupunki", Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki, Finland

1995

• Cathedral crypt, Helsinki, Finland

1994

• Kluuvi Gallery, Helsinki, Finland

1992

• Poleeni, Pieksämäki, Finland
• Bustamante Art Gallery, New York, USA

1991

• Galerie Grafiart, Turku, Finland

1990

• Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland

1982

• Galerie of artist union, Moscow, Soviet Union
• Modern art museum, Odessa, Soviet Union

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Public exhibitions

2017

• Surf, Galerie Hartwich, Rugen, Germany
• Finnish Artists, Samuelis Baumgarte Gallery, Bilefelt, Germany
• "Finnish artists", Triumph Gallery, Moscow, Russia

2016

• "Snakeville", Haugart artmuseum, Tonsberg, Norway
• "Love Heino", Helsingin kaupungin taidemuseo, Helsinki, Finland

2015

• "Dark Days, Bright Nights", Kemper museum, Kansas City, USA

2014

• "Touch", EMMA, Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Espoo, Finland
• "Our Street", Vantaa Art Museum, Vantaa, Finland
• "Keramiikka tilassa", Museum of Applied Arts, Helsinki, Finland
• "The Big Pictures", Amos Rex (Amos Anderssons art museum), Helsinki, Finland
• Processen, Avesta Art, Avesta, Sweden
• Drawing in the flesh, Vantaa Art Museum, Vantaa, Finland

2013

• "A Sense of Time - the Story of OMA’s collection", Oulu Museum of Art, OMA, Oulu, Finland
• Nordic Art Trienal, Eskilstuna, Sweden
• "Pearls", Sara Hilden Art Museum, Tampere, Finland
• "Sweet n’ Rotten. The shared world of Jarmo Mäkilä and Rauha Mäkilä", Kerava Art Museum, Kerava, Finland
• "Drawing in the flesh", Art Museum of Vantaa, Vantaa, Finland

2012

• Carnagie art award: The Stenersen Museum, Oslo, Norway; The Royal Academy of fine arts, Stockholm, Sweden
• Amos Rex (Amos Andersons Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
• Sophienholm, Lyngby, Denmark
• Biennale Balticum, Art museum of Rauma, RaumaFinland
• "Op-Pop- Post", Art museum of Pori, Pori,Finland

2011

• "Isä ja äiti", Mäntän Fine Art Weeks, Mänttä, Finland
• "Kesä – Sommar – Summer 2011", Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland
• Le Mal de Montano, Galerie Favardin & De Verneuil, Paris, France
• "Art and Comics", Art museum of Tuusula, Finland
• "Collections", Sara Hilden art museum, Tampere, Finland

2009

• "Tulokulmia Itä-saksaan", Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova, Turku, Finland

2007

• "Time of animals", Finnish National gallery Ateneum, Helsinki, Finland
• "I want to be a dog", Art museum of Rauma, Finland
• "Art from 70`s", Lönström Art Museum, Rauma, Finland
• "Collections of Fortum Foundation", Arthall, Helsinki, Finland

2005

• "Strangers in Paradise. Heikkilä – Mäkilä – Tuominen", Artmuseum of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland

2002

• "Popcorn and politics – Activists of Art", Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki, Finland

2001

• "Dream", Swanljung collections, Tikanoja Art Museum, Vaasa, Finland

2000

• "Nordic Postmodernism", Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki, Finland

1999

• "The Painting", Painters Union 70-year anniversary exhibition, Finland
• "International art", Lönnström Art Museum, Rauma, Finland

1997

• Suomi – kuva, art Villa Wegelius, Ikaalinen, Finland
• "Smart Show goes to sea", Helsinki – Stockholm, Finland - Sweden

1994

• Finnish art Triennial of Helsinki - St Petersburg (Finnish Artists' Association), Finland - Russia

1993

• "Kaikista lapsuuden huoneista", Oulu City Art Museum, Oulu, Finland

1992

• "Art", Frank Bustamante Gallery, New York, USA

1991

• "Galerie Pelin 10-year anniversary exhibition", Helsinki, Finland
• "Contemporary Finnish Art", St Petersburg, Soviet Union

1990

• Valo-kuva, Finnish Printmakers Exhibition, Finland

1989

• "Synty ja kuolema", Tampere Art Museum, Tampere,Finland

1988

• "Kuuntelu", Finnish Painters' Union exhibition, Helsinki, Finland
• Finnish contemporary art exhibition, Havana, Cuba

1985

• "Taiteilijaa tapaamassa", the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts touring exhibition, Finland
• Biennale Balticum, Rauma, Finland

1984

• "Nordic picture", touring exhibition, DDR

1981

• "Young artists", Helsinki, Finland
• Finnish contemporary art exhibition, Moscow, Soviet Union
• Cagnes-sur-Mer, an international painting exhibition, France

1979

• "Kantaryhmä", Tampere, Finland
• Finnish Painters' Union 50th anniversary exhibition, Helsinki, Finland

1978

• "78-realist", Helsinki, Finland

1977

• "Finsk bild", Stockholm, Sweden
• Biennale Balticum, Rauma, Finland

1974

• Finnish Fine Arts Association exhibition, Helsinki, Finland
• Finnish Artists exhibitions, Helsinki, Finland

1970

• Young Artists Exhibitions, Helsinki, Finland

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Collections

• Teresia and Rafael Lönnström Foundation, Finland
• Sara Hilden Art museum, Tampere, finland
• Salvador Allende Museum, Santiago, Chile
• Pori Art Museum, Pori, Finland
• Oulu City Art Museum, Oulu, Finland
• Johan König collection, Berlin, Germany
• HAM Helsinki Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
• Fortum and Neste Foundation, Finland
• Finland State art collection, Helsinki, Finland
• Eevi and Jalmari Karhula Foundation, Rauma art museum, Finland
• City of Vaasa art collection, Vaasa, Finland
• City of Turku Art Colletion, Turku, Finaland
• Aune Jääskeläinen art collection, Tuusula Art Museum, Tuusula, Finland
• Tampere Art Museum, Tampere, Finland
• Amos Rex (Amos Anderson Art Museum), Helsinki, Finland
• Rauma Art Museum, Rauma, Finland
• Pushkin Museum, Moscow, Russia
• EMMA contemporary Art Museum of Espoo, Espoo, Finland
• Finnish National Gallery Ateneum, Helsinki, Finland
• Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland

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Education

1970

• The University of Art and Design
• The Finnish Academy of Fine Arts

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