Jenni Hiltunen (b. 1981) is a Finnish artist living and working in Helsinki. Her paintings examine constructed concepts of gender and identity. Hiltunen avoids strict classification: she creates contemporary moments, moods and situations, utilising subjects collected from international fashion magazines and art history. She exaggerates without over-moralising. In her paintings, she dismantles the conventional ways of representing girlhood and femininity, but her attitude is more reflective than declarative.
Hiltunen seeks the space where indeterminate yearning and personal experiences merge into a new kind of story or possibility. Despite the melancholic nature, her works are not pessimistic, but also contain a dose of humour. Her primary standing point lies in picturesqueness and the joy of painting. The artist’s bold brush strokes and intense colours create contrasts that represent today’s pace of life and values in the perfect manner.
Hiltunen graduated from the Turku Arts Academy in 2004 and the Academy of Fine Arts oh Helsinki in 2007. She has held several solo exhibitions including, Add Red or Not at Mimmo Scognamiglio Artecontemporanea, Milan (2023); Alone, online exhibition, Steve Turner Gallery, Los Angeles (2022); Purple Grass, Galleria Forsblom, Helsinki (2022); and Three Voices, Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki (2019). Hiltunen has actively participated in group exhibitions both in Finland and abroad, some of which include Out of Nowhere, Mänttä Art Festival, Mänttä, Finland (2023); Winter Garden, Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki (2022). Her work is represented in the State Art Collection, Finnish Art Association, Finnish National Gallery Kiasma and in a number of private collections.