Sirpa Alalääkkölä
Curriculum Vitae
Born in Alatornio, Finland 1964
Lived in Helsinki 1985-1990
In New York 1991- 93
In New Zealand 1994 – 2007
In Sirkka, Finland 2007 -09
Married to Photographer Paul Palmer, two children
Education New York University 1991-93
Academy of Fine Arts, Finland, BFA 1985-90
Art School of Lapland 1984-85
Current Exhibits
Aino triptych National Gallery Helsinki 2009
Fishtales and Sauna Night , Syömään-Juomaan exhibition Aineen Taidemuseo Tornio 2009
Solo Exhibitions (selected)
Lapland Exhibition Hotel Hullu Poro, Levi, Finland 2008-2011
Life is a Beach Gillan Gallery Marlborough, New Zealand 2008
Everymans Song Hotel Hullu Poro Levi, Finland 2007
Heart of Wine Gillan Gallery Marlborough, New Zealand 2007
Pasifika Cultural Center Caisa, Helsinki , Finland 2005
All things Bright and Beautiful Gillan Gallery Marlborough, New Zealand 2004
Magical Finland Galleria Heino Helsinki,Finland 2003
National Landscape Lönnström Art Museum Rauma, Finland 2003
Finnish Icons Aine Art Museum Tornio, Finland 2002
Winecountry Linden Estate Hawkes Bay, New Zealand 2000
Foreigners in Finland Museum of Modern Art Helsinki, Finland 1998
Kiwi Icons Parnell Gallery Auckland, New Zealand 1998
Southern Paintings Ashburton Art Gallery Ashburton, New Zealand 1997
Paintings from India and New Zealand Aine Art Museum Tornio, Finland 1996
Last of the Long Faces Havelock Gallery Havelock, New Zealand 1996
What Is, Works from Australia and Tonga Galleria Pelin Helsinki Festival 1995
Here and Now, Paintings from Tonga Womens Cultural Center Nuku Alofa, Tonga 1995
Tasmanians , Circular Head Arts Festival Stanley, Tasmania 1995
Local Folk Lismore Regional Art Gallery, Lismore Australia 1994
Various group exhibitions 1985- 1994
Sirpas projects
Sirpa Alalääkkölä gets inspiration from around the world. She travels to different cultures and sets up her workshop on location. She spends several months researching and painting the local scenes and people. As a result she creates a body of work for an exhibition that is displayed at the end of the project locally and later on in a gallery or museum mainly in Finland or New Zealand.
Projects ( selected)
Public Art in Levi
Several large murals around the biggest ski resort in Finland, for example Hotel Hullu Poro, Levi Ski Resort ja Levi Golf & Country Club
Europe 2008-
Beginning of a series of paintings about EU.
Everymans Song, Levi, Lapland 2007
When Sirpa first returned to Lapland she created a series of paintings of people and scenes in Lapland.
Heart of Wine 2006-7
While in Marlborough, the famous winemaking region of New Zealand, Sirpa studied the scenes of different stages of wine industry. The paintings depict the workers as well as people enjoying the wine.
Pasifika 2003-2005
Being inspired by the strong Pacific Island culture in New Zealand, Sirpa painted a series of paintings about their culture, performances and art by using the pacific patterns, symbols and colours . This series was displayed at the Pasifika Festival in Helsinki, Finland 2005
National Landscape, 2000 – 2003.
Sirpa painted large panorama paintings of Finnish National Romantic scenes such as Midsummer Dance, Sauna and other classic finnish themes, that only exist in Finland.
Finnish Icons 2002
Sirpa was invited to be the Jazz artist of the year in her hometown Tornio. She worked in the Artist in Residence in Tornio and created a series of retrostyle paintings depicting her childhood scenes.
Lives and Works in Finland 1998
Sirpa was invited to create a series of paintings about immigrants in Finland for the opening exhibition of the Museum of Modern Art in Finland. She created portraits of immigrants as part of the exhibition theme that was about finnish identity called On This Side of the Ocean.
Last of the Long Faces 1996Based on traditional New Zealand woodcarvings and tattoos Sirpa painted a body of work that reflected the native style.
India 1995
Paintings of Indian people. Sirpa rented a studio space in Mussoorie, in the foothills of the Himalyas
and travelled around northern India, collecting material for her paintings. She then created portraits in the Mussoorie studio based on this material. These paintings were in an exhibition in Aine Art Museum in Tornio 1996.
Here and Now, Tonga 1995
Sirpa travelled to Tonga where she rented a room and a studio in Ha apai group where she created a series of paintings of Tongans . At the end of the project she held an exhibition at Womens Cultural Centre in Nuku Alofa. These paintings were in an exhibition at Helsinki Festival 1995.
Tasmania 1995
Sirpa travelled around Tasmania and settled in Stanley in a historic VDL store to create portraits of the locals. She organized an opening event and a large exhibition at the same space during an annual art event called Circular Head Arts Festival . These paintings were also in an exhibition at Helsinki Festival 1995.
Local Folk, Lismore, Australia 1994
Sirpa travelled around Australia and collected material for her paintings. Then she settled to work in an artists workshop in Lismore, New South Wales. She made portraits of people she had met on her journeys around Australia. At the end she held an exhibition at the Lismore Regional Art Gallery.
Local People,Havelock, New Zealand 1994
When Sirpa first arrived in New Zealand she started painting in a little fishing village. She made a series of portraits of local people. At the end she held an exhibition in a local gallery. This was the beginning of Sirpas project format that she has been using for many years now.
Julkinen taide
- 2 x Seinämaalaus Levin Zero Point Hiihtokeskuksen uuteen päärakennukseen, seinäala 15 x 5m 2008
- 3D alumiini golfhahmot, 14 kpl, Levi Golf club, kenttiä yhdistäviin tunneleihin, seinäala 28 m x 2m 2008
- Seinämaalaus Hotelli Hullu Poron saunaosasto 9m x 2.5m 2008
- Seinämaalaus Yökerho Porocks tiloihin, , seinäala 12 m x 2.5m Levitori 2008
- Seinämaalaus Kana ja Kannu ravintola, seinäala 16m x 2.5m Levitori 2008
- Kaksi triptyykiä Lapin Ammattioppilaitoksen Hyvinvointi alan tiloihin, 3m x 1.5m molemmat. Rovaniemi 2008
- Seinämaalaus Ravintola Taivas., seinäala 14 x 2.5m, Sirkka 2007
- Ashburton Gollege, työpaja , seinäala 3,5m x 20m s, Uusi Seelanti 1998
- Farmers Tavaratalo, seinäala 3m x 14m, Uusi Seelanti 1997
- Stanley Town Mural, seinäala 2.4m x 12m, Tasmania 1995
- General Store Havelock, Tuatara, 2m x 13m , Uusi Seelanti 1994
- Waikari store, seinämaalaus, 3m x 11m, Uusi Seelanti 1993
- Lepakko , seinämaalaus, , seinäala 2.4m x 8m, Helsinki 1988
Töitä mm. seuraavissa kokoelmissa
Aineen Taidemuseo
Fishtales 1994, Sarjasta Local People Havelock, Uusi Seelanti
Saunailta 1998,
John Millar 1998, Sarjasta Asuu ja työskentelee Suomessa
Midori Mori 1998, Sarjasta Asuu ja työskentelee Suomessa
Taiteilijat 2002, Vuoden Jazz taiteilija sarjasta Tornio
Kiasma
Aino Triptyyki 1988
Aboriginal Artist, Bruce Pullen 1995, Sarjasta Local Folk, Lismore, Australia
Veden Jumalatar 1995
Samuel Elone 1998, Sarjasta Asuu ja työskentelee Suomessa
Naomi 1998, Sarjasta Asuu ja työskentelee Suomessa
Zhang Wang 1998, Sarjasta Asuu ja työskentelee Suomessa
Lönnstromin Taidemuseo
Tyttö ja Poika 2003, Sarjasta Kansallismaisema
Kalevan taidekokoelmat
Lehdenlukija 2002, Vuoden Jazztaiteilija sarjasta
Paulon Säätiö
Saniais kuningatar 1995
Heinon Kokoelmat
Sauna 2002 , Vuoden Jazz taiteilija sarjasta
Tunturissa 2002, Vuoden Jazz taiteilija sarjasta
Suomi Poika 2002, Vuoden Jazz taiteilija sarjasta
Tango 2002, Vuoden Jazz taiteilija sarjasta
