Lot 2 - Riikka Sormunen - Cocoon

About  

Riikka Sormunen was born in Finland in 1987. After a brief stint studying fashion design, the artist worked as an illustrator before focusing entirely on painting. Riikka Sormunen’s paintings mix soft sensuality with calculated artificiality in scenes that feature characters, plants, and objects striking poses for viewers. Working mainly with watercolor, water mixable oil and tiny brushes, the artist’s work explores contrasting textures, patterns and colors. Sormunen’s painstakingly crafted compositions draw from her excessive daydreaming, focusing on escapist pleasures, solitary meltdowns and performative femininity. 

Group exhibitions that have shown Sormunen’s work have taken place at: Marvin Gardens in Ridgewood, New York (2022); Pamplemousse Gallery in Richmond, Virginia (2022); Natasha Arselan Gallery in London, UK (2022); Ladies Room in Los Angeles, California (2022); Tchotchke Gallery in New York City (2021); and Kosminen in Helsinki, Finland (2020). 

Group Exhibitions 

2024 

Dreams and Reflections, Richard Heller Gallery, Los Angeles, USA 

Nudity is not Radical! Kravets Wehby Gallery, New York, USA 

2023 

Affacciato/Perched, Ballon Rouge, San Remo  

In Bloom, duo exhibition with Seline Burn, EVERYDAY MOOONDAY, Seoul 

2022 

Fever Dream, Vortic Art, VR-exhibition, Online 

Choose Your Fighter, Marvin Gardens, Brooklyn, New York, USA 

Tomorrow’s Woman, Natasha Arselan Gallery, Online 

Awards 

2019 

3 Year Grant, Arts Promotion Centre, Finland