Professor Riitta Nelimarkka is a distinctive and versatile artist whose repertoire includes graphic art, animated films, paintings, art and poetry books, textile art, and extensive exhibition entities. She has doctor´s degree in the arts (DA at UIAH, Helsinki) and has studied painting in Paris, photography, film and art education at the Konstfacken, Academy of Art in Stockholm and piano playing at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.

Her art is characterized by brilliant colors, friendly sarcasm and innovative irony. In recent years, her production has centered on comprehensive collections of drawings, photographs, velvet pictures, videos and woolen reliefs. She has also been commissioned a great number of works, including the large-scale “Con Calore” woolen carpets for the official residence of the President of Finland.

Her artworks, illustrations and animated films have been presented at various international festivals and biennals. She has been awarded numerous prizes and honorary mentions for her work and been invited to have extensive private exhibitions in numerous cities all around the world.

PROFESSOR RIITTA NELIMARKKA has always chosen her own distinct path. Whatever technique or genre her art takes, from paintings and animated films to books, woolen reliefs and photomontages, the unique way of presenting it always remains. »My art emerges from real life, reflecting its joys and sorrows, conflicts and shocks, its normality and its chain of coincidences. I use parallels drawn from literature, film and music, but it’s always the personal experience which wins the process.” During years Nelimarkka has had numerous large exhibitions from Los Angeles and Lima to Bruxelles and Moscow. She has studied painting in Paris, film in Stockholm and music theory & piano performance at the Sibelius Academy. She has a doctorate degree in the arts and she has received the honorary title professor from the president of Finland. She has been the chairman of Nelimarkka-foundation since 1987.

The latest bigger works are the 13 meters long glass painting “Without too much thinking” at Hietaniemi pavilion 2016, and the same year the visualization for Debussy´s 5 Preludes for the Radio Symphony Orchestra. An exciting Gesamtskunstwerk with her husband Jaakko Seeck, is Bonga Castle, an old patrician house decorated by Nelimarkka´s over 200 works…………

Riitta Nelimarkka resides in Finland, in Helsinki. She swims every morning year around, no matter how cold the water in the sea is, and has a hunting license. She loves movies that make her cry and never underestimates the power of a good laugh. ”I work every day but I also party every day in some way or another. I’m an idealist and I don’t want to give in. Pain exists, but you don’t need to work everything through pain.” Riitta Nelimarkka says…..

Website:  http://www.nelimarkka.com