The Modern Woman

The artists featured in the exhibition are Helene Schjerfbeck, Sigrid Schauman, Ellen Thesleff, Elga Sesemann, Hilda Flodin, Sigrid af Forselles, Gunvor Grönvik, Eila Hiltunen, Lea Ignatius, Helmi Kuusi, Laila Pullinen, and Essi Renvall. The exhibition of approximately 180 works includes paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints from the Ateneum collection. The exhibition is curated by the senior researcher at the Ateneum, Anu Utriainen.

The exhibition explores women artists from two angles: women as creators of images, and women as objects in images and as objects of the gaze. The themes are linked to the debate on gender equality, which continues to be a topical and globally important issue.

Through the selected works and the artist biographies, an image is formed of the opportunities of Finnish women to get an education and to work as artists. The artists featured in the exhibition worked internationally as artists throughout their lives. One of the key questions in the exhibition is how class background and life situations influenced the artists in making careers for themselves, and how this is reflected in the choice of subject matter and techniques in the works at different times.

An abridged version of the exhibition has been touring the world since 2017, and shown, for example, in New York, Tokyo and Copenhagen. Everywhere, it has sparked a lively debate about the social status of women and their opportunities for independent professional careers.