Sofia Haapamäki ^{Emerging artist}

Artist's country of origin: Finland

Sofia Haapamäki is a visual artist based in Helsinki, Finland.

She is completing her MFA at the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki from 2021 to 2023, with an additional MFA exchange program at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm in 2022. Prior to her master’s studies, Sofia earned her BFA from the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki from 2018 to 2021.

Sofia’s educational journey includes individual courses at Umeå University from 2014 to 2018, where she explored various subjects such as philosophy, aesthetics, art history, art theory, and drawing. She also attended Falkenbergs Art School in Stockholm for a secondary year in 2017-18 and Umeå Art School for basic and secondary years from 2010 to 2012.

Sofia’s artistic achievements include being shortlisted for the Ivan Juritz Prize in 2023. In 2022, she received an art grant from Konstsamfundet for her work with the Odd Collective. In 2021, she was awarded the Nordic & Baltic Young Artist Award by NOBA and received support from Svenska studiefonden, Svenska Kulturfonden. In 2020, Sofia was nominated by the Helsinki Academy of Fine Arts for the Yale Norfolk School of Art program. Her works can be found in notable collections, including the fund of Päivi and Paavo Lipponen and various private collections.

At the core of Sofia Haapamäki’s artistic exploration lies a deep interest in humanity itself. Her works delve into the intricacies of the individual as a unique force entangled within a complex world. Instead of perceiving the concept of self as uniform or undivided, Sofia is intrigued by the multitude of aspects that constitute our being and the dialogues that occur between these different versions of ourselves. Embracing a conceptual approach, Sofia allows her works to materialize through diverse forms. This commitment to conceptual exploration leads her to transcend disciplinary boundaries, as she fearlessly explores unconventional combinations of techniques and materials. Sofia’s artistic practice is driven by a desire to push the boundaries of traditional artistic practices and uncover new avenues of expression.