henna.aho at gmail.com
born in Turku, Finland 1977
EDUCATION
Master of Fine Arts, painting department, Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki FI, 2022
Master of Arts, University of Arts and Design Helsinki FI, 2006
Bachelor of Arts, Fine Arts, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Turku FI 2002
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2026 Turku Art Museum (studio), Turku FI
2024 Mukavat Lukemat / Comfy Digits, TM Gallery, Helsinki FI
2022 Hypofutulore, Forum Box, Helsinki FI
2021 Canvases, Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki FI
2019 Does the Funny Paintings Exist? Culture House Laikku, Studio, Tampere FI
2018 Mental Ghetto, Myymälä 2, Helsinki FI
2017 Nightingale and a Glasstube, Gallery Huuto, Jätkä 2, Helsinki FI
2014 Dirty Venetian blind, Galleria Mältinranta, Tampere FI
2014 Cutting edge soft painting, Galleria Katariina, Helsinki FI
2013 Need+Child+Mother, Galleria Titanik, Turku FI
2002 Whip (BA final exhibition), Turku Art Museum, Water Container, Turku FI
JOINT EXHIBITIONS
2025 (upcoming) Untitled (w/ K. Hinkula), Industra Art gallery, Brno CZ
2024 Untitled (Aho, Hinkula), curator Jurriaan Benchop, Tartu Art House, Tartu EE
2023 Tokiomis Salygomis (Aho, Hinkula) KCCC, Klaipeda LT
2022 Polyphonic Compositions, Turku Art Hall (Aho, Saharla) Turku FI
2019 Ruishelmi-festival, Logomo, Turku FI
2016 Bring in the Kitchen Sink, Gallery Pleiku (Aho, Laaksonen), Berlin DE
2015 Deux ex Machina, Galery TOOLBOX (Aho, Laaksonen), Berlin DE
2015 Folie à Deux, Gallery KONE (Aho, Laaksonen), Hämeenlinna FI
2014 Anthems of Reality Principle, Gallery Rajatila (Aho, Laaksonen), Tampere FI
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025 (upcoming) Eco-Gurama, Center of Contemporary Art, Baku AZ
2025 In These Moments, Toivonoja Summer Exhibition, Lahti FI
2024 Salon ACME Nro 11, Mexico City MEX
2022 XXVI Mänttä Art Festival (curator Markus Kåhre) Mänttä FI
2021 Sielunmaisema, Glasshouse Helsinki FI
2020 Kuvan Kevät – MFA Graduation Show, Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki FI
2018 Kerronta, Haihara Art Centre (curator Jarno Vesala), Tampere FI
2017 Every Moment Is an Exception. Contemporary art from the collection of the State Art Commission, Riihimäki Old Glass Museum, Riihimäki FI
2015 OTOS. New Painting from Turku, Wäinö Aaltonen Museum, Turku FI
2015 West Wind, Seinäjoki Art Hall, Seinäjoki FI
2013 The Greatest thing Is Love ? Wäinö Aaltonen Museum (Aho, Laaksonen), Turku FI
2012 SKjL’s annual exhibition, Hyvinkää Art Museum, Hyvinkää FI
COLLECTIONS
2024 Saastamoinen Foundation
2024, 2022 HAM Helsinki Art Museum
2024, 2022 The collection of the Finnish State Art Commission
2023 Oulu Art Museum
2022 Turku University of Applied Sciences
2022, 2021 Finnish Art Society, art lottery
2015 Wäinö Aaltonen Museum / Turku City
AWARDS AND GRANTS
2025-2027 the Finnish Cultural Foundation, 3-year grant for artistic work
2024-2026 Henry Lönnfors Atelier Fellowship
2024 the Finnish Cultural Foundation (Aho, Hinkula, Benchop)
2024 Vermont Studio Centre Fellowship
2023 Greta and William Lehtinen Foundation
2023-24 Kone Foundation, 2-year grant for artistic work and residency grant
2022 Mylly Award, Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki
2022 Arts Promotion Centre Finland
2021 Turku Art Association
2021 The Finnish Cultural Foundation, Varsinais-Suomi Regional Fund, 1 year grant for artistic work
2020 Arts Promotion Centre Finland
2020 Arts Promotion Centre Finland
2020 Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki
2019 TOP Foundation
2017 TOP Foundation (Aho, Dufva,Vainio)
2016 Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Aho, Laaksonen)
2015 Turku City
2014 Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Aho, Laaksonen)
2014 Aalto University
2013 Turku City
2013 Turun Saskiat ry
2011 TOP Foundation
2010 Finnish Cultural Foundation
2010 Arts Promotion Centre Finland / regional grant
ARTIST IN RESIDENCY
2025 Yaddo, Saratoga Springs NY, USA
2024 Vermont Studio Center, Johnson VT, USA
2023 PADA studios, Barreiro PT
2022 Aboa Vetus et Ars Nova, Turku FI
2016 Gallery Pleiku (Aho, Laaksonen), Berlin DE
2013-14 Aboa Vetus et Ars Nova -museo (Aho, Laaksonen), Turku FI
2013 Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Aho, Laaksonen), Genoa IT
HIGHLIGHTS – Finnish Painting 2024, Mamie Beth Cary and Claire Mary Anne Gould, the Finnish Painters Project
2024 Tendencies 2024, an exhibition catalogue, GalleriF15
2024 Textile as art, craft and ideology, Øivind Storm Bjerke, Kunstavisen
2024 Everything can be woven, Lars Elton, Dagsavisen
2024 NRK News, Odd, Skjerdal, NRK Oslo og Viken
2024 New exhibition at Galleri F15: – These hands have been involved in things, Eva Fretheim, Moss Avis
2024 In Henna Aho´s paintings, everyday life is abundant luxury, Sini Mononen, Helsingin Sanomat
2024 Exhibition recommendation, Timo Valjakka, Helsingin Sanomat
2023 On the almost-apparent paintings of henna Aho and Kaija Hinkula, Eero Karjalainen for an exhibition, KCCC (Klaipeda LT)
2022 The Beauty of Things About to Happen, Sallamaari Heikkinen for Forum Box exhibition (Helsinki FI)
2022 Critique: XXVI Mänttä Art Festival, Tuija Huovinen, Eero Karjalainen
2022 The fruits of freedom and trust – Mänttä Art Week offers space to experience, feel and think, Katri Kovasiipi, Kulttuuritoimitus
2022 Mänttä Art Week offers macabre fabric sculptures and sad jukeboxes, Jussi Mankkinen, YLE
2022: Analysis: A Momentary Glimpse by the Old Field, Sallamaari Heikkinen, KMV magazine
2021 Where does painting end and everything else begin is the question posed by the exhibition at the Turku Art Hall, in which no paint is used at all, Asta Kihlman, Turun Sanomat
SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCES
2025 Companions and the more-than-human work of painting, lecture by Henna Aho & Dr. Katve-Kaisa Kontturi, Painting as Habitat — ways and forms of artistic thinking, Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki FI
2012 A Joint Painting, Visual Third Space. What Happens When We Paint Together? Presentation of a peer-reviewed academic paper at the conference: The Art of Research IV – Making, Reflecting and Understanding, Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Helsinki
TRUST POSITIONS
2019-2021 Recruitment Committee of the Academy of Fine Arts, student member
2020-2022 Academic Council of the Academy of Fine Arts, student member
MEMBERSHIPS
Finnish Painters ‘Association, Forum Box, Turku Artists’ Association, Kuvasto
OTHER WORKING EXPERIENCE (SELECTED)
2023-24 commission artist, Justheat project, pan-European research project, FI/UK/SWE/RO
2021 assistant, studio Katharina Grosse,Berlin/Helsinki DE/FI
hennaaho.com 