Iiu Susiraja
In 2008, Iiu Susiraja (b. 1975) began to photograph and film herself in unremarkable domestic interiors—her own apartment or her parents’ home, both in Turku, Finland. Often, the focus of these works is the artist’s performative engagement with the contours and orifices of her own body. Posing with mundane objects to absurd or surreal effect, she creates images that are at once deadpan, slapstick, and deeply empathetic in tone to explore the psychology of self-representation. In these scenes, sausages, rubber gloves, herrings, toilet plungers, and a decapitated teddy bear are among the objects she shoves into her underwear, drapes from her breasts, or tucks between a limb and the folds of her body. Susiraja’s carefully staged tableaux employ the tropes of both the portraiture and still life genres, as well as the vernacular of pornography and editorial fashion photography, all with an understated wryness. The images often evince her training as a textile designer, with brilliantly patterned fabric appearing as a backdrop or prop. Across her work, Susiraja stares at the viewer with an opaque indifference; “I try to reach as blank a state as possible,” she explains. “For me, being blank is the same as being real.” In this way, she presents her body, which she describes as fat, without shame or inhibition, generating a raw space in which to consider issues of beauty standards and taboos, fitness, accessibility, sex, and one’s relationship to oneself.
Susiraja’s videos, rarely longer than a minute or two, prolong the scenes captured in her photographs. In a single, uninterrupted take she might drive a toy car over her breasts and thighs; crack an egg between her chin and breastbone; apply butter to a baguette positioned like a phallus between her legs; or pull a vase from a vitrine and lick it. These events are ritualistic, performed with the same quiet inevitability as her photos. Each challenges assumptions around decorum and good behavior with a deep, enigmatic humor that inspires both surprise and recognition.
Recently, Susiraja has expanded her practice to include sculpture. Working with 3D printed plastic, she creates hybrid forms drawn from the props and scenarios presented in her photographs and videos: a balloon sandwiched by a hamburger bun; a whoopie cushion cinched with a noose; an eight-ball placed in an ice cream cone. Marked by subtle intervention and droll juxtapositions, these objects offer a farcical appraisal of the commodity and consumer culture.
Iiu Susiraja
Born 1975 I Lives and works in Turku, Finland
EDUCATION
2018 Master of Fine Arts, Time and Space, Finnish Academy of Fine Arts | Helsinki, Finland
2012 Artist, photography | Turku University of Applied Sciences Art Academy
2005 Bachelor of Arts, textiles | EVTEK University of Applied Sciences
1996 Artisan (painter) | Vantaa College of Arts and Design
1994 Construction painting | Hervanta vocational school
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
No Piece of Cake | WAM Turku City Art Museum, Turku, Finland
2023
A style called a dead fish | Moma PS1, New York, NY, USA
Hot Stuff | Nino Mier Gallery, New York, NY, USA
2022
Object | MAKASIINI CONTEMPORARY, Turku, Finland
Women’s work | Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2020
Dalmatian | Ramiken gallery, New York, NY, USA
Dry Joy | SKMU Sørlandets Kunstmuseum, Kristiansand, Norway
2019
Kadel Willborn gallery, Düsseldorf, Germany
Dry Joy | KIASMA , Helsinki, Finland
2018
What am I? | Ghebaly gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2017
Of objects and me | PS2 Gallery, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Happy hour | VB Photographic Centre, Kuopio, Finland
2016
What am I? | Ramiken crucible, New York, USA
Be boring Be happy | Fotogalleriet Format, Malmö, Sweden
Voin hyvin, kiitos | Photographic Centre Peri, Turku, Finland
Tunteiden Niksi-Pirkka | Hå gamle Prestegard, Nærbø, Norway
2015
Liika kiltteys ei kannata | Photographic Centre Nykyaika, Tampere, Finland
Tunteiden Niksi-Pirkka | Kluuvi gallery, Helsinki, Finland
2013
Beautiful error | Museum Anna Nordlander, Skellefteå, Sweden
Perfect everyday life | Gallery Berner, Turku, Finland
2012
Tuhmaa pullaa ja muita taiteellisia pelastuksia | Å Gallery, Turku, Finland
2011
Taide löytyy jääkaapista | Alkovi Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
Arjen tyylipuhdas suoritus | The Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, Finland
2010
Kohtuuttomuus katseessasi | Lasipalatsi Film and Media centre, Helsinki, Finland
Hansa Shopping Center, Turku, Finland
2008
Paljas | B-gallery, Turku, Finland
2007
Hylkäys | Nunes Art gallery, Helsinki, Finland
2006
Hand-made-Horror | Art gallery Piirto, Helsinki, Finland
2005
Häirikkökarhut | Lasipalatsi Film and Media centre, Helsinki, Finland
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
Snakes in the Gras | Newchild Gallery, Antwerpen, Belgium
2022
Why Can’t We Live Together | Marburger Kunstverein, Marburg, Germany
Cake show | The Pit, Palm Springs, CA, USA
2021
Untitled Art | MAKASIINI CONTEMPORARY, Miami FL, USA
On the level or the man who fell out of bed | Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna, Austria
Extra tough: Woman of the north | Anchorage Museum AK, USA
Welche Stimmung fandest du dort vor? | Gallery Russi Klenner, Berlin, Germany
2020
Touch | EMMA, Helsinki, Finland
Paranoid Crucible | Ramiken Gallery, New York NY, USA
2019
FROM THE SHADOWS OF NIGHT TO THE BRIGHTNESS OF DAY | MAKASIINI CONTEMPORARY, Turku, Finland
She stares back | Kendall College of Arts and Design, Michigan, USA
Considering Finland | Port25 Mannheim, Germany
2018
Portraits at Home | Harbourfront centre, Toronto, Canada
Hardcore Erotic Art | Ramiken crucible, New York, USA
(project space) | Meredith Rosen gallery, New York, USA
STILL HUMAN | Rubell family collection, Miami, USA
10 From the north | Flow Festival of Photography
Circulation(s) | Centquatre-paris, Paris, France
Martin Kippenberger and Iiu Susiraja | Ramiken Gallery, New York, USA
STILL HUMAN | Rubell family collection, Miami, USA
EAT ME | Trapholt museum, Kolding, Denmark
Bodybuilding | Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art, Turku, Finland
2017
DIVE | Stavanger Museum, Stavanger, Norway
Inverness | Flow Photography Festival, Helsinki, Finland
Greetings from SUOMI | Fiskars, Finland
Omakuva ajassa | Taidehalli Museum, Turku, Finland
Minän teatteri | Ars Nova & Aboa Vetus museum, Turku, Finland
Identity | Konsthallen MEKEN, Smedjebacken, Swede
Attempting ideal | Gallery Salon Dahlmann, Berlin, Germany
Photography the Female | Mumbai, India
2016
Love of the real | Punkt O – Galleri F15 & Momentum, Moss, Norway
Asetelma –elämä lautasella | Sinebrychoff Art museum, Helsinki, Finland
Irritierend heiter | Kunstverein Villa Streccius, Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
The Limits of Control | Finnish Cultural Institute in New York, New York, USA
Gestos Hacia uno Mismo | Tenerife espacio de las Artes, tenerife, Canary Islands
2015
No Bad Days | Kalmar konstmuseum, Kalmar, Sweden
Frame stories | Organ Vida Festival Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Survival Kit 7 | Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art, Riga, Latvia
2014
POTRETTI | Fotografie Forum Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
Heponauta | Hyvinkää Art museum, Hyvinkää, Finland
Yksin | Helsinki City Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Adidasmies ja voimanainen | Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art, Turku, Finland
2013
Kiasma Hits | Kiasma, Helsinki, Finland Princess | Warsaw Photo Days, Warsaw, Poland
2012
Annual Exhibition of the Union of Finnish Art Associations | Hyvinkään Art Museum, Hyvinkää, Finland
The 88th Annual Exhibition of the Turku Artists’ Association | Köysiratagalleria, Turku, Finland
Alice in Wonderland | ECCO, Centre of contemporary Art, Cadiz, Spain
Tunne | Oulu museum of Art, Oulu, Finland
Voies off Festival | Arles, France
SNAP! Picturalis Party | Petit Bain, Paris, France
Tätä tietä! – This Way! | Jukka Male museum, Helsinki, Finland
En kirjoita mitään tarinaa | Photographic Center Peri, Turku, Finland
2011
2000&11 omakuvaa | The Finnish museum of Photography, Helsinki, Finland
Piilossa | Köysiratagalleria, Turku, Finland
Re-exposure | Pàlffy Palace, Bratislava, Slovakia
2000&11 omakuvaa | Photographic Center Peri, Turku, Finland
Mahtavat näkymät – Looking Forward | Gallery OyOy, Lahti, Finland
MediaPyhät -Tissit | Gallery Rajatila, Tampere, Helsinki
Mahtavat näkymät – Looking Forward | Jukka Male Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Alice in Wonderland | LOGOMO, Turku, Finland
2010 ARTISTS 2010 – The 115th annual exhibition of Finnish artists | Artcenter Mältinranta, Tampere, Finland
AWARDS | GRANTS
2023
Finland Award | Finland
2023
Internationality Award, Cultural Gala | Finland
2019 – 23
National council for the Visual Arts, Artist working grant | Finland
2019
William Thuring main price | Finland
2018
Alfred Kordelin Foundation | Finland
2016
National council for the Audiovisual Arts, Artist grant | Finland
National council for the Visual Arts, project grant | Finland
2015
National council for the Visual Arts, project grant | Finland
2012
National council of Photographic Art, project grant | Finland
2002
Seoul metropolitan of Art, Third place | South Korea
COLLECTIONS
Adam Lindemann Collection | USA
Allen Memorial Art Museum | USA
Buffalo AKG Art Museum | USA
Finnish National Gallery | Finland
Gothenburg Museum of Art | Sweden
Heino Art foundation | Finland
Helsinki City Art Museum | Finland
ICA Miami | USA
Jenni and Antti Wihuri Foundation | Finland
Moderna Museet | Sweden
Museum of contemporary art Kiasma | Finland
Odunpazari Modern Museum | Turkey
Päivi and Paavo Lipponen Collection | Finland
Rubell Family Collection | USA
Saastamoinen foundation
Stavanger Museum | Norway
The Finnish Museum of Photography | Finland
Timo Miettinen Collection
University of Chicago | USA
Wäinö Aaltonen Museum | Finland
