Kimanen, Maija Pilvikki - The Folks

Acrylic, ink on paper.

21 x 30 cm

2026

Maija Pilvikki Kimanen graduated as a visual artist from the Lahti Art Institute in 2006. Her works have been exhibited in galleries of artist associations in various cities, in the Young Artists' Exhibition, and at the Outsider Art Festival at the Helsinki Art Museum HAM, as well as in Galleria Rajatila. The artist lives and works in Helsinki.

"For years, I made machines, videos, installations, and sculptures. Now I have returned to where my entire artistic journey began: painting and drawing. Previously, the themes of my works stemmed from amusing and positive insights. However, with painting, the themes became more intense: my paintings also address difficult subjects such as illness and transience. I am interested in the limitations of human senses, mental illnesses, and functional disabilities.

I draw a lot from my own life for my works. I tinker with all sorts of things on my own. My older sister once said that others do what they can, Maija does anything. Techniques that no one has ever used just need practice. There's no textbook that teaches these things."

My collections grow and develop over time. I have found my own technique and way of making art; it cannot be learned from any book, it must be discovered through experimentation. I am very excited about the new sugar water technique, which I do with acrylic paint, a stick, water, and ink. The color in the work starts to spread and does what it wants... it's very interesting. My latest works feature two people, perhaps representing some kind of encounters. The works with many people relate to hallucinations, to the feeling of having many people at home, which can be frightening.

https://www.maijapilvikki.fi