Artist statement & CV

Last updated: 22 June 2024

I grew up in Finland, in a home where my mother had a chronic longing for her roots in Karelia (an area shared with Russia). Bullying defined my life since it lasted throughout elementary school and it affected my experience of being different. This experience of being different made me an expatriate; I moved to Denmark when I was 19, and after that, I lived in Sweden, Singapore, sometime in Finland, and now in Austria.

I have researched the theme of not belonging for over 10 years, in my artistic work as well as in my Master’s degrees (MA of Arts and MA of Design). Currently, I work with themes of nature and belonging, roots, and connection to the earth. As an artist I am searching for a connection to the land, one’s roots, and a momentarily feeling of being in the moment. My visual language is repetitive.

I work with various mediums.A very small stage in a vast cosmic arena as a patch of light kindling the energy hidden in matter across the centuries Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit galaxies.

Veera Komulainen (b. Orimattila, Finland, 1985) is a contemporary artist living and working in Radstadt Austria. 

Contact. veera.komulainen@gmail.com


2016-2017 – Master of Arts, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland

2011-2012 – Master of Design, Raffles Design Academy, Singapore

2006-2009 – Post Graduate, Hansenberg Nordic Multimedia academy, Kolding, Denmark

2002-2005 – Artisan, Lahti College of Arts and Crafts, Lahti, Finland



GRANTS

2023 – Land Salzburg, Austria / 1500€ for residency at Sofia National Academy of Arts

2023 – Goethe Institute, EU / 2800€ for AGA Lab residency

2022 – TAIKE Art Support Centre of Finland / working grant 2 months

2021 – TAIKE Art Support Centre of Finland / working grant 6 months

2020 – TAIKE Art Support Centre of Finland / working grant 2 months



SOLO & GROUP SHOWS

2024 – Group show – Show your art – Sommer. Frische. Kunst. – Bad Gastein, Austria

2024 – Group show – Folgen den Pflanzen – Kunsthaus Tuln – Tuln, Austria

2023 – Group show – LAb5550 Project statement – Parallel Vienna – Wien, Austria

2023 – Group show – Gallerie SNOW x Carl Hansen & son Flagship store – Hamburg, Germany

2023 – Group show – Alabamaster – Kunsthalle Wels, Austria

2023 – Group show – De Bouwput – AGA LAB, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2022 – Solo show – Galleria Pleiku, Berlin, Germany

2022 – Group show – Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki, Finland

2022 – Group show – Barok Museum, Salzburg, Austria

2022 – Solo show – Mältinranta Art Centre, Tampere, Finland

2021 – Solo show – Pop-up Imberg, Salzburg, Austria

2021 – Group show – Gegner-Haus, Attersee, Austria

2020 – Group show – Summer Academy of Fine Arts, Festung Salzburg, Austria

2016 – Solo show – Toinen tuleminen, Valkee Oulu, Finland

2014 – Solo show – Graphic pop-up, Tuba Oulu, Finland

2014 – Solo show – Siunattu yksinäisyys, Design Valkea Oulu, Finland

2013 – Group show – KUŠ!: THE LAST MATCH – the largest small exhibition, Urban culture center Kino Šiška Ljubljana, Slovakia

2013 – Group show – Taidekeskus Taarasti yhteisnäyttely, Nastola, Finland



RESIDENCIES

2024 March – AGA LAB – Amsterdam, Netherlands

2023 September – Sofia National Academy of Arts – Ahtopol, Bulgaria

2023 May – AGA LAB – Amsterdam, Netherlands



PUBLIC ART

2019 – Art Linnakallio Goes Baana Symposium Kempele, Finland

2018 – Competition price: HKL metro station artwork Mellunmäki Helsinki, Finland

2014 – Brain Capacity mural Linnasaari Oulu, Finland



PUBLICATIONS

2015 – NIETOS – Lapin kansan synty



WORKSHOPS

2019 – Veera K. Workshops
Started on 15.5.2019 – 2022. Salzburg, Austria

2017 – Street Art workshop for slum kids
June 2017 – August 2017 Koseli school, Kathmandu, Nepal

2017 – Contemporary Art Workshop in Ludwig Museum Ludwig Museum, Budapest Hungary

2014 – Street Art workshop for teens
Nuorisoseura, Kemi, Finland

WORK EXPERIENCE

Art Director / Marketing and Communications specialist
Apr 2013- Dec 2015, Oulu, Finland
BusinessOulu

Art Director / Graphic Designer
Mar 2008-Mar 2011, Locations: Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden
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