Melina Paakkonen

Melina Paakkonen (b. 1989) lives and works in Helsinki.

“I think of painting as a playful exercise, one that allows me to address complex themes – even difficult ones – with levity and humour.”

Paakkonen’s paintings reflect on the cycle of life and the many ways humans choose to live and exist. The imaginative menagerie of animals she depicts serves as a metaphor for human roles and personalities.

Characterised by rich symbolism, Paakkonen’s work draws from art history not only in subject matter but also in expressive strategies. Flat surfaces, shallow perspective, and silhouette-like forms reflect her interest in vernacular art and murals found in medieval churches.

Composed with a collage-like rhythm, her paintings do not convey a single linear narrative; rather, the distinct segments of the picture plane can be read as separate scenes that can be linked together by the viewer to produce multiple readings and chains of events.

Exhibition Freshly Painted 14.5.–30.8.2026