Sofi Häkkinen ^{Emerging artist}

Artist's country of origin: Finland

Sofi Häkkinen is a Finnish visual artist based in Helsinki, working across sculpture, performance, and multidisciplinary installation. Born in Oulu, she is currently completing her MFA in Sculpture at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts (2025) and holds an MA from Aalto University (2018). Her educational background also includes a BA in Fine Arts from Tampere University of Applied Sciences (2016), with additional studies at the University of Lapland and Universität der Künste Berlin (Art in Context program, 2017).

Häkkinen’s practice bridges visual and performing arts, incorporating sculpture, video, immersive performance, and collaborative direction—particularly with the Recover Laboratory collective. Her work explores themes such as pop culture, horror, humor, death, sentimentality, and kitsch, often using materials like wood, metal, found objects, and ready-mades. Her process is deeply intuitive and informed by a queer perspective, material honesty, and the deliberate tension between form and concept. She is especially interested in how time is experienced through different materials and mediums, prompting her to work simultaneously in sculpture, performance, and video.

Häkkinen’s recent exhibitions include shows at EKA Vent Space in Tallinn, Hämeenlinna Art Museum, New Performance Turku Biennale, the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, and Bergen Kunsthall in Norway. In recognition of her artistic practice, she has been awarded a working grant from the Finnish Cultural Foundation for 2025–2026.