Details:
① Artwork:
Rainy Day
In this painting, a half-woman, half-feline figure observes her reflection in a floating mirror. The scene evokes fragrant smells of wet earth, incense and flowers. This sensual work features a variety of textures, including the waxy leaves, the figure's silky hair and the cold gloss of the pug sculpture—which has an incense stick for a tail.
Riikka Sormunen's paintings delicately stage scenes where characters, plants, and objects strike poses, mixing soft sensuality with calculated artificiality. Working mainly with watercolor, water mixable oil and tiny brushes, the artist's work playfully explores contrasting colors, textures, and patterns. In the process of painstakingly crafting each composition, Sormunen blindly trusts in visions born from her excessive daydreaming. The artist's paintings focus on escapist pleasures, solitary meltdowns, and performative femininity—which is an eagerness to please that is in constant battle with the need for honesty.
Specs:
③ Artist:
Riikka Sormunen’s paintings mix soft sensuality with calculated artificiality in scenes that feature characters, plants, and objects striking poses for viewers. Working mainly with watercolor, water mixable oil and tiny brushes, the artist’s work explores contrasting textures, patterns and colors. Sormunen’s painstakingly crafted compositions draw from her excessive daydreaming, focusing on escapist pleasures, solitary meltdowns and performative femininity.
BIO:
Riikka Sormunen was born in Finland in 1987. After a brief stint studying fashion design, the artist worked as an illustrator before focusing entirely on painting.
Group exhibitions that have shown Sormunen’s work have taken place at: Marvin Gardens in Ridgewood, New York (2022); Pamplemousse Gallery in Richmond, Virginia (2022); Natasha Arselan Gallery in London, UK (2022); Ladies Room in Los Angeles, California (2022); Tchotchke Gallery in New York City (2021); and Kosminen in Helsinki, Finland (2020).
Sormunen’s work is supported by Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
Sormunen lives and works in Helsinki, Finland.
