Kimanen, Maija Pilvikki - Comic book

Acrylic, ink on paper.

21 x 30 cm
2025

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, at the Young Artists' Exhibition, and at the Outsider Art Festival at the Helsinki Art Museum HAM and 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 sprang from humorous and positive insights. However, with painting, the themes became more intense: my paintings also deal with difficult subjects such as illness and transience. I am interested in the limitations of human senses, mental illnesses, and functional limitations.

I draw heavily 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 know, Maija does whatever. With techniques that no one has ever done anything with, you just have to practice. There isn't a textbook that teaches about it."

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 enthusiastic about the new sugar water technique, which I do with acrylic paint, a stick, water, and ink. In the work, the color starts to spread and does what it wants... it's very interesting. My latest works feature two people; they are perhaps some kind of encounters. Works with many people relate to delusions, to the idea of many people being at home, which can be frightening.

https://www.maijapilvikki.fi/