Biography

Laura Kärki (born 1978 in Lahti) is a multidisciplinary visual artist. She graduated with a Master of Arts from Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland in 2006; as textile designer from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in 2002 and in 1996 from Forssa Vocational Institute, Tammela. Kärki lives and works in Berlin, Germany. Kerber Verlag published her first art book Laura Kärki in December 2021. Her latest duo exhibition in Berlin was at Kulturhaus Karlshorst, in 2020-2021 with Niina Lehtonen Braun (curated by Dr. Sylvia Metz). Her work is found in public and private collections, including Finland State, Aine Art Museum, and Lahti Museum of visual arts Malva. Her public artworks are featured in Helsinki Finnish Fair Center, Hotel Hilton in Hakaniemi and the law firm Borenius & Kemppinen.

Laura Kärki paints, sculpts, photographs; makes poetry and soundscapes. The variety of materials used is rich and in the background of the works there is often a long reflection on the contents. She is interested in themes like the modern family and human interaction and its complexity when we have to use so many different media. She paints expressively with oil pastel crayons, by smearing color with her hand. She has used 3D ceramics, handmade ceramics or slip clay and she also adds textile parts to her ceramic sculptures. With textiles, she transfers images to canvas, sewing, freeform embroidery, crochet and tufting. Her photographs take her to familiar places with to negative and positive color scapes. Memories have been imprinted to the poems that the pictures complete. The soundscapes contain snoring, sounds of home, childhood and the life lived. The picture, sculpture, word and sound becomes one.