About the artist

Nadja Mikkilä

Visual artist. Vihti, Finland.

Artist Statement

In my paintings I seek dreamlike landscapes, places that return in dreams decades after they were lived. In my drawings, animal meets myth: unicorns, regal bears and sea creatures grow out of classical ink work.

The two techniques require opposite states of mind. Abstract painting calls for sensing colour and emptying the mind. Illustration requires close attention to every line. One is watching clouds and finding form; the other is assembling a puzzle.

My subjects return to animals, water and in-between spaces. In a time when species are disappearing, I want to bring animals into view as unique and magical, whether real or mythical.

Nadja Mikkilä, portrait
CV at a glance
  • Born 1981, Hamburg
  • Visual artist since 2004 Over 20 exhibitions
  • HTK Academy of Design Hamburg, 2004
  • Haaga-Helia UAS Helsinki, 2009
  • Publications Out of Step Books, USA · 2013, 2020
  • International exhibitions Hamburg · Chicago · London
  • Languages Finnish · English · German
Full exhibition history
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