Eeva Honkanen : Humus (taking over)

April 24 – June 4, 2025

Opening Reception: Thursday, April 24th, 7pm

HANCOCK, MI – The Finlandia Art Gallery will present Humus (taking over), a drawing exhibit by Finnish artist Eeva Honkanen. 

The exhibit will be held at The Finlandia Art Gallery, located in the Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC), Hancock from April 24 to June 4, 2025. 

A reception for the artist will take place at the gallery, Thursday, April 24th, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public, refreshments will be served.

Imaginative, fantastical and transformative, Eeva Honkanen’s large-scale ink drawings capture a landscape bursting with life. Insects, butterflies, tiny creatures that resemble human beings populate her surreal world in a swirling, complex and constantly changing vision of life. Absent is the hierarchical order that places human beings at the apex. Honkanen’s drawings emphasize the unity of life, diversity and the continuum of time. 

Emerging through free association, Honkanen’s drawings burst with contradictory elements and exaggerated forms. Under the seemingly chaotic surface of her work lies a deep interest in the essence of human nature. It is in her imagination that Honkanen grapples with the relationship between humans, animals, and the environment. The diversity of today’s world, where there is no single truth, guides Honkanen’s artistic work. Her eccentric vision is a merciless critique of the modern world, often accompanied by a touch of humor.

“Humus is dark, organic material that forms in soil when plant and animal matter decays,” notes Honkanen. “Complex life started with humus and in the end, we all become humus. The works exhibited in the Humus (taking over) exhibition convey the significance of wonder, viewing the world as complex and constantly changing. Contemplation is gentle – the works respect and express wonder for different species and environments equally.”

Eeva Honkanen lives and works in Lahti, Finland. After graduating from the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture in 2010, Honkanen has worked and held exhibitions not only in Finland but also in Europe and the United States.

She has also participated in residencies around the world. Notable posts include an artist-in-residence at the Finnish-African Cultural Centre (Benin, 2015), the Arts Promotion Centre (Berlin, 2016), the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York (2017), and The New York Art Residency and Studios Foundation, NARS (2019). 

Recently, Honkanen’s work has been exhibited in solo exhibitions at Turku Art Museum (2024), Kunsthalle Turku (2020), and Huuto Gallery in Helsinki (2021), as well as group exhibitions in Rauma Triennale (2022), Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation Collection at the Rovaniemi Art Museum (2023), and ”Finsk Fokus” in Oslo, Norway (2023).

In 2024, Honkanen’s work was part of a collection exhibition at the Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art in Vaasa (curated by Leevi Haapala, Teemu Mäki, and Anne-Maj Salin) and an Urban Art Exhibition organized by Lahti Art Association.

Humus (taking over) will be on display through June 4, 2025.

Gallery Information

Location: Finlandia Art Gallery, Finnish American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy Street, Hancock, MI

Contact: (906) 487-7309 | gallery@finlandiafoundation.org

Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.