Pirkko Mäkelä-Haapalinna
Born in Kemijärvi, Finland, 1960
Living and painting in Rovaniemi, Finland
Career
Artistic work sponsored by the grants of Arts Promotion Centre Finland and the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Lapland, 2020 – 21
Pastel Society of America (PSA) Master Pastellist 2017
Artistic work sponsored by the grants of Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Regional Office Lapland, and the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Lapland, 2016 – 17
Guest of Honor in the Salon International du Pastel La Rochelle by Société des Pastellistes de France, La Rochelle, France, Sep-Oct 2016
Invited artist to Arctic Arts Week 2016, Kakslauttanen, Sodankylä, Finland, August 2016
Residency in Arkhangelsk, Russia, sponsored by Arts Promotion Centre Finland and Artists’ Association of Lapland, Aug-Sep 2015
Artist in the Hallaa-Project by Artists’ Association of Lapland, responsible for designing the Art Dinner Concept, 2014
Artist in the Magenta Project sponsored by the European Union, Lapland University, and Art Council of Lapland 2012 – 13
Artistic work in Kemijärvi, Lapland, Finland, since 2010
Artistic work in Somero, Southern Finland, 2000 – 10
Studio of Ceramic Art in Somero, Southern Finland, 1989 – 95
Pro Arte ceramist in Arabia Ltd, Helsinki, Finland, 1986 – 89
Studio of Ceramic Art in Rovaniemi, 1982 – 86.
Awards and Grants
First prize in the competition Pastel+ by Central Massachusetts Pastel Society, curated by Marcia Holmes, 2024
Pastel Gold Award in the Pastel 100 24th Annual Competition, USA 2023One month working grant by Centre for the Promotion of Visual Art, 2023
Two months working grant by Arts Promotion Centre Finland, 2022
Two months working grant by Arts Promotion Centre Finland, 2021
Third prize in First Quarter 2021 Dakota Competition, Established Artists, judged by Richard McKinley
Fourth prize in the 22nd Annual Pastel 100 competition, Abstract and Non-Figurative Category, USA, 2021
One-year working grant by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Lapland Regional Fund, 2020
Third prize in the 7th International Pastel Biennale Nowy Sącz, Poland, 2018
First prize in the 20th Annual Pastel 100 competition, Abstract and Non-Figurative Category, USA, 2019
Golden Medal of Kemijärvi town, 2018
Third prize in the International Biennale by Pastel d’Opale, France, 2018
Honorable mention in Artists’ Magazine Annual Competition, USA, 2018
Honorable mention in the 19th Annual Pastel 100 competition, Abstract Category, USA, 2018
The Pastel Societies of the West and Southwest Award, awarded by Charlotta Kotik, emeritus curator of contemporary art in the Brooklyn Museum of Art, in The Pastel Society of America Annual Exhibition, 2017
Three months working grant by Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Regional Office Lapland, 2017
One year working grant by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Lapland Regional fund, 2016
Third prize in the 17th Annual Pastel 100 competition, Abstract/Non-Figurative Category, USA, 2016
Richard McKinley Mentorship Award in Memory of Margaret Stahl-Moyer, awarded by CEO and President of the College Art Association, Linda Downs, in The Pastel Society of America Annual Exhibition, 2015
Art Times Award, awarded by the curator of Butler Institute of American Art Louis A. Zona, in The Pastel Society of America Annual Exhibition, 2012 Honorable mention in the 12th Annual Pastel 100 competition, Animal and Wildlife Category, USA, 2011
Six months working scholarship from the Province of South-Western Finland, 1994.
Main Exhibitions
Coming Exhibitions:
Solo exhibition, GalleriEKG, Hamar, Norway, October 2024
Duo exhibition Hallaa 2024 together with Piia Lieste in Kemijärvi Culture Centre, November 2024, curated by Rovaniemi Art Museum
Solo Exhibition in Gallery A2, Helsinki, Finland, June 2025
Solo Exhibitions:
Rovaniemi Art Museum, Rovaniemi, Finland, January–March 2024
The Art Wall in Rovaniemi Theatre, Artists’ Association of Lapland, March 2024
Gallery of Salo Artists’ Association, Salo, Finland, July 2023
Gallery Napa, Artists’ Association of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland, April 2023
Gallery Teijon Masuuni, Salo, Finland, June 2022
Gallery A2, Helsinki, Finland, March 2022
Invitation by Kemijärvi City for 150 years Jubileum exhibition, Kemijärvi, Finland, July 2021
Brinkhall mansion, Turku, Finland, June 2021
Maker's Gallery, Vaasa, Finland, November 2020
Artist of the Month by Artists' Association of Lapland, Rovaniemi Art Museum –gallery Korundi, Rovaniemi, Finland, 2020
Gallery Uusi Kipinä, Lahti, Finland, July 2020
Lapponica Exhibition Hall in Central Library of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland, March 2020
Aarni-Gallery of Espoo Artists’ Association, Espoo, Finland, December 2019
Crypt Gallery of Helsinki Cathedral, Helsinki, Finland, August 2019
Kilo Gallery of University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland, January 2019
Artists’ Association of Lapland, Gallery Napa, Rovaniemi, Finland, August 2018
Neliö Gallery, Oulu, Finland, October 2017
Lapponica Exhibition Hall in Central Library of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland, February 2017
The Association of Espoo Visual Artists, Gallery Aarni, Espoo, Finland, January 2017
Artist of the Month, Rovaniemi Art Museum –gallery Korundi, August 2016
Artists’ Association of Lapland, Gallery Napa, Rovaniemi, Finland, November 2015
Artists’ Association of Vaasa, Black Wall –gallery, Vaasa, Finland, May 2015
Culture Centre, Kemijärvi, Finland, 2014
Artists’ Association of Lapland, Gallery Kellokas, Äkäslompolo, Finland, 2013
Culture Centre, Kemijärvi, Finland, 2012
Gallery Varjo, Rovaniemi, Finland, 2012
Gallery Artista, Kokkola, Finland, 2012
Gallery of Central Library of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland, 2012
Centre of Culture and Nature Pyhätunturi, Pelkosenniemi, Finland, 2011
Artist Residence of Kemijärvi, Finland, 2011
Design Hill, Salo, Finland, 2011
Galleri Roten Baum, Wurzburg, West Germany, 1995
Design Forum, Helsinki, Finland, 1993
Galleri Strömbom, Stockholm, Sweden, 1991
Galleria Septaria, Helsinki, Finland, 1990.
Group Exhibitions:
The 37th Korean Pastel Artists Association International Exhibition, October 2023
51st Pastel Society of America Annual Exhibition, Enduring Brilliance!, juried exhibition, On Line, October 2023
Group Exhibition by Artists' Association of Lapland, Tien päällä – On the Road, Sodankylä, Finland, June 2023
International exhibition by invitation, Beyond Borders, Gyeomjae Jeongseon Art Museum, Seoul, Soth Korea, May – July 2023
Woman's Place, together with Niina Laitonen, Pauliina Turakka Purhonen, Eeva-Kaisa Rossi, and Sampsa Sarparanta, Turku Christian Institute, Turku, Finland, November 2022
Fiftieth Annual Exhibition, Enduring Brilliance!, juried exhibition in National Arts Club, New York, U.S.A., September 2022
Korean Pastel Artists Association 36 years, an online exhibition by invitation, Autumn 2022
Curated annual exhibition of Arsits’ Association of Turku, Turku, Finland, July-Aug 2022
d’Art du Pastel en France -Association exhibition by Invitation, Normandie, France, July 2022
Curated Summer Exhibition at Wiurila Mansion, Salo, Finland, June-August 2022
Curated annual exhibition of Arsits’ Association of Turku, Turku, Finland, November 2021
Korean Pastel Artists Association 35 years, an online exhibition by invitation, Autumn 2021
Forty-ninth Annual Exhibition, Enduring Brilliance!, a juried exhibition of the Pastel Society of America, On-Line, September-October 2021
Curated 30 years -Jubileum Exhibition of Artists’ Association of Lapland, Gallery Valo, Rovaniemi, Finland, Summer 2021
Impressions, works from the collection of the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Rovaniemi Art Museum, Feb 2021–Jan 2022
30-year Jubileum Exhibition by the Artists’ Association of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland, Sept-Oct 2020
Forty-eight Annual Exhibition, Enduring Brilliance!, a juried exhibition of Pastel Society of America, On-Line, September 2020
The 90-year jubilee -exhibition of Finnish Painters’ Union/Artists’ Association of Lapland, Napa Gallery, Rovaniemi, Finland, October 2019
International Pastel Biennal Exhibition Nowy Sącz 2018, Poland, September 2019
Curated Summer Exhibition at Wiurila Mansion, Salo, Finland, June-August 2019
Artists’ Association of Lapland curated a group exhibition, in the Mältinranta Gallery, Tampere, Finland, April 2019
Union of Finnish Art Associations 80 years jubilee exhibition, Joensuu Art Museum, Finland, October 2018, curator Mika Karhu
Artists’ Association of Lapland group exhibition, Anu Pentik Gallery, Posio, Finland, September-December 2018
Exhibition together with Irina Havaste-Ukkola, Kemijärvi, Finland, June 2018
32nd IAPS (International Association of Pastel Societies) Juried Exhibition, American Art Company Gallery, Tacoma, Washington, U.S.A., March–April 2018
International Biennial Pastel d’Opale Exhibition, Boulogne sur Mer, France, March 2018
Kakslauttanen Art Gallery, Saariselkä, Finland, November 2017 – January 2018
Colorida Art Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal, September 2017
Forty-fifth Annual Exhibition, Enduring Brilliance!, juried exhibition in National Arts Club Gallery, New York, U.S.A., September 2017
Arctic Art & Design Summer –happening, Arctic Light Hotel, Rovaniemi, Finland, June-August 2017
Guest of honor, invited by Société des Pastellistes de France in the exhibition: Salon International du pastel, La Rochelle, France, Sep-Oct 2016
Group exhibition in Kemijärvi Cultural Centre, Kemijärvi, Finland, Sep 2016
Forty-third Annual Exhibition, Enduring Brilliance!, juried exhibition in National Arts Club Gallery, New York, U.S.A., September 2015
Artists’ Association of Lapland 25 years anniversary exhibition ”How to Read in the Dark”, curator Tanel Rander:
Joensuu Art Museum, Joensuu, Finland, 22.1. – 15.3.2015
Tartu Kunstimaja, Tarto, Estonia, 8. – 31.5.2015
Grimmuseum, Berlin, Germany, 13.6. – 26.7.2015
Aurora Borealis -exhibition, Konst & Form –gallery, Sipoo, Finland, 2014 – 2015
Artists’ Association of Lapland, Hallaa Project-exhibition Silence, Kemijärvi, Finland, 2014
Lapland Artist Society Palas, Annual juried exhibition, Rovaniemi, Finland, 2013
Välinäytös-exhibition, Pyhätunturi, Finland, 2013
Magentaa! The Magenta-Project exhibition, Art Museum of Kemi, Finland, 2013
Lapland Artist Society Palas, group exhibition in Gallery Järnatti, Järvenpää, Finland, 2012
Enduring Brilliance!, The Pastel Society of America at 40, juried exhibition in National Arts Club Gallery, New York, U.S.A., 2012
Gallery Muncipal, Nerja, Spain, 2012
Lapland Artist Society Palas, Annual juried exhibition, Rovaniemi, Finland, 2011
Joy of Light, Gallery Ferin, Helsinki, Finland, 2010
Artist Society of Salo, juried exhibition, Salo, Finland, 2006
Diner´s Club-Gallery, Tokio, Japan, 1994
Artist Group July, Turku, Finland, 1992
Finnish Design, Annual juried exhibition, Helsinki, Finland 1991
Ars Arctica, Annual juried exhibition of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland, 1986, -85, -84.
Public Works
Commission by Rovaniemi Town to an elderly home Aaltoranta, 2019.
Works in Public Collections
Turku and Kaarina parish union collections, 2021
Jenny & Antti Wihuri collections, Rovaniemi Art Museum, 2020, 2024
Helsinki University Hospital Art Collections, 2020
Rovaniemi Town collections, (Rovaniemi Art Museum), 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2024
Somero Town collections, 2010.
Works in Publications
Art Journey Abstract Painting, 2017, Ed. Jamie Markle, ISBN 13:978-1-4403-5160-0
Pastelagram Magazine, Vol. 43, 2016, Pastel Society of America, Eds. Jimmy Wright and Arlene Richman.
Publications
“Surun matkakirja”, an Art Book with texts by Kemijärvi vicar Pentti Tepsa, 2016, ISBN 978-952-93-7159-4
“Kuin kallein timanteilla koristeltu peili”, an Art Book with writings by Kemijärvi schoolchildren, 2013, ISBN 978-952-93-1879-7
Art Education
Art studies in University of Lapland, Open University, 2013 –
Course for professionals in art and design, School of Art and Design, Helsinki and University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland, 1982 – 83
School of Arts and Crafts, ceramics department, Rovaniemi, Finland, 1980 – 82.
Membership in art Associations
Member of Artists’ Association of Turku 2021 – 2023
Member of the Finnish Painters’ Union 2018 –
Member of Société des Pastellistes de France, 2016 –
Membership in Artists’ Association of Lapland, 2013 – (Member of the Board 2015 – 2020, 2023 –)
Pastel Society of America, Associated Member 2011 – 2015, Signature Member 2015 –, Master Pastellist 2017
Membership in Lapland Artist Society Palas, 2011 – 2013
Membership in Finnish Association of Designers Ornamo, 1994 – 95
Membership of the Association of Professional Artists in Lapland, 1984 – 86.