Taru Happonen

Taru Happonen (b. 1989) lives and works in Helsinki.

Happonen depicts both the world as we know it and speculative creatures and environments, often dissolving the boundaries between painting and sculpture.

Drawing inspiration from the natural sciences and science fiction, Happonen frequently focuses on body fragments, such as the skin of fictional creatures seen at close range. At other times, her perspective expands to sweeping vistas reminiscent of satellite imagery.

A recurring conceptual impulse in her work is the idea of an extraterrestrial arriving on Earth for the first time. As she describes: “Filled with awe and curiosity, the alien dissects everything from electronic waste and rafts of plastic to surviving organisms and lost cities.” Passing no judgment, this fictional observer regards all things – organic and synthetic alike – as equally and integrally part of nature.

Exhibition Freshly Painted 14.5.–30.8.2026