Cv & Contact
Ulla Pohjola, Visual Artist
Born 1963 in Juuka, Finland
Works available: taidelainaamo.maltinranta.fi
Ulla Pohjola (born 1963 in Juuka) is an artist from Tampere, who got her Master’s degree in textile art from the University of Industrial Arts Helsinki (UIAH, present-day Aalto University). She has also studied as stipendiary in The National College of Art and Design in Dublin and Kunsthåndvaerkerskolen in Kolding, Denmark. In 1996, right after her graduation, she was selected as the Young Textile Artist of the Year by The Finnish Association of Textile Artists Texo ry. In 2006 she was awarded the Art Prize of the Year by the Arts Council of Pirkanmaa. In 2016 she got the Jury Prize in the 18th International Minitextile Exhibition in Bratislava, Slovakia.
She has had dozens of solo exhibitions both in Finland and abroad and participated in more than a hundred group exhibitions. Additionally, she has been involved in organizing art exhibitions and textile art exhibitions in Finland. Ulla Pohjola’s works can be found in the collections of eg. The Saastamoinen Foundation, The Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Salo Art Museum, Lönnström Art Museum, The Design Museum and the State Art Deposit Collection.
MEMBERSHIPS
2006– Finnish Painters’ Union
2005– Kuvasto (a Copyright Society for visual artists)
1999– Tampere Artists’ Association
EDUCATION
2018 Icon painting course, Valamo Folk School, Heinävesi
2004, 2005, 2006 & 2008 Courses in gold embroidery, Valamo Folk School, Heinävesi
1988–95 Masters of Arts, University of Industrial Arts Helsinki UIAH, textile design
1994 Kunsthåndvaerkerskolen, Kolding, Denmark, 5 months, Nordplus scholarship
1993 The National College of Art and Design, Dublin, Ireland, 5 months, Erasmus scholarship
1985–87 Handicraft School of Tammela, Weaving
1982 Secondary School of Juuka, Graduate
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
2016 The Jury Prize 2016, 18th International Minitextile Exhibition, Bratislava, Slovakia
2006 Art Prize of the Year, Arts Council of Pirkanmaa
1996 Young Textile Artist of the Year
PUBLIC WORKS
2004 Antependium of Nupuri Chapel, Espoo
2000 Design work for a Municipality-rug, Juuka
1999 Textile art work in the parish meeting hall of the Kytäjä church, Hyvinkää
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS IN FINLAND
2024 Memory stitches, Studio, Culture House Laikku, Tampere
2024 To love, Gallery Tahmela’s Villa, Tampere
2023 Roots, Community gallery Komuutti, The Finnish Labour Museum Werstas, Tampere
2023 Small Art Gallery, Tukkateekki, Tampere
2023 Suvantotila, Ortodox Church of Tampere
2022 Thin Places, Ulla Pohjola and Metta Savolainen, Gallery Duetto, Helsinki
2021 Small Art Gallery, Tukkateekki, Tampere
2020 Täky Gallery, Lappeenranta
2020 Virkki Museum, Helsinki
2019 Legacy, Gallery Ronga, Tampere
2019 Works, Gallery Tahmela’s Villa, Tampere
2019 Works, Tampere Artists Associations’ Gallery Laikku, Tampere
2018 Memento, Ulla Pohjola and Kaija Poijula, Craft Museum of Finland, Jyväskylä
2017 Landscape of Changing Mind, Gallery Duetto, Helsinki
2016 Nature Observations II, Gallery Colmio, Porvoo
2016 Nature Observations, Gallery Jänis, Turku
2015–16 Hidden Thoughts, RIISA, Orthodox Church Museum of Finland, Kuopio
2013 Colour is Cover, Gallery Duetto, Helsinki
2013 The Distance Covered, Joensuu Art Museum, Studio
2012 Cache, Hiekka Art Museum, Tampere
2011 Gallery Becker, Jyväskylä
2011 Kirjastogalleria, Nurmijärvi Library
2010 Caput Mortuum, Gallery Johan S, Helsinki
2010 Embroideries, Art Park, Forssa
2008–09 Embroideries, Glims House Museum, Espoo
2008 Embroideries, Mältinranta Artcenter, Tampere
2007 In Shadow and Light, embroideries, Salo Art Museum
2006 Embroideries and pictorial objects, Ulla Pohjola and Diana Brunstein, Kemi Art Museum
2005 Embroideries, Rovaniemi Art Museum
2005 Embroideries, Gallery Bakeliittibambi, Project Room
2005 Embroideries, Museum of Central Finland, Jyväskylä
2004 Embroideries, Paper Room, Hämeenlinna
2004 Embroideries, Studio of Lönnström Art Museum, Rauma
2003 Springlike Hands, embroideries, Gallery Bakeliittibambi, Helsinki
2001 Embroideries, Art Centre Ahjo, Joensuu
2000 Embroideries 1993-2000, Mältinranta Artcenter, Tampere
2000 Marked With a Star, embroideries, Gallery Bakeliittibambi, Helsinki
2000 Embroideries, Studio of the Kunsthalle, Helsinki
1998 The Journey of the Soul, embroideries, Gallery Bakeliittibambi, Helsinki
1997 Embroideries, Center of Visual Arts, Oulu
1997 Books and embroideries, Malmitalo, Helsinki
1997 Embroideries, Gallery Pictor, Nummela
1996 The Secret Depths of the Heart, embroideries, Gallery Oma Huone, Helsinki and Gallery Räikkälä, Kankaanpää
1995 Bone Orchard, embroideries, Crypt of the Museum of Applied Arts, Helsinki
1993 Dublin-exhibition, embroideries, University of Industrial Arts, Helsinki
SOLO EXHIBITIONS ABROAD
2017 The Jury Prize 2016 (18 th International Minitextile Exhibition), The Umelka Gallery,
Bratislava, Slovakia
2004 Embroideries, Tampere House, Tartu, Estonia
1999 Broderad skulptur, Textilia-center, Göteborg, Sweden
SELECTED NATIONAL OR REGIONAL EXHIBITIONS IN FINLAND
2024 Gallery Saskia, Tampere
2023 40 th Anniversary Exhibition, Maila Talvio Salon, Hartola
2022–23 Red Yarn – Textile art exhibition, Art Museum Saarijärvi
2020–21 Line of Life, Rovaniemi Art Museum Korundi
2020–21 Mad Love – The Seppo Fränti Collection at Kiasma, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki
2020 With the Naked Eye, HAA-gallery, Suomenlinna, Helsinki
2020 Valamo Cultural Center, Heinävesi
2020 Merry Things – from The Jenny and Wihuri Foundation Collection, Rovaniemi Art
Museum Korundi
2019 OXYGENUM, exhibition by Nordic Art Association in Finland, Vetelin Taidekartano,
Veteli
2018 Passion, Gallery Ronga, Tampere
2018 Knitted Visions, Kajaani Art Museum
2016–17 Knitted Visions, Art and Museum Centre Sinkka, Kerava
2016 Olo – Maerkbart, The Joint Nordic Art and Design Travelling Exhibition in Finland and
Denmark, Kouvola Art Museum Poikilo
2016 Pyhäniemi 2016 – art exhibition, Pyhäniemi Manor, Hollola
2016 Faces of Christ, Lahti Art Museum
2015 Make Yourself at Home, 6th Triennial of Pirkanmaa 2015, Gallery Saskia
2014–15 Exhibition of the Year 2014, Union of Finnish Art Associations, The Imatra Art Museum
2014 Artist without a Name, Mältinranta Artcenter, Tampere
2013 KUI ? – 9. Textile Art Triennial, Joensuu Art Museum
2012 KUI ? – 9. Textile Art Triennial, Wäinö Aaltonen Art Museum, Turku
2011 Pyhäniemi 2011 – art exhibition, Pyhäniemi Manor, Hollola
2011 Kuopio Art Museum
2011 Exhibition by Union of Finnish Art Associations, Saarijärvi Museum
2010 90 th jubilee exhibition of Tampere Artists´ Association, Mältinranta Artcenter, Tampere
2010 Summer art exhibition, Art Centre Honkahovi, Mänttä
2010 Gl’amour: Anna-Maija Aarras, Klaus Haapaniemi, Ulla Pohjola, Caroline Slotte, Virpi
Vesanen-Laukkanen. Art Museum of Oulu
2010 Red, The Display of Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection, Espoo Museum of Modern Art EMMA, Finland
2009 Textile art now, Textile Triennial 8, Design Museum, Helsinki
2009 Kasvinkumppanit – group exhibition: Maija Albrecht, Johanna Kiivaskoski, Inari Krohn, Ulla Liuhala, Pirkko Nukari, Ulla Pohjola and Metta Savolainen. Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova Museum, Turku
2009 Minun pohjoiseni – exhibition organized by the Nordic Art Association in Finland, Jetty
Barracks Gallery, Suomenlinna, Helsinki
2008–11 Entre chien et loup – at Dusk, The Display of Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection, Espoo Museum of Modern Art EMMA, Finland
2008–09 R.ASIA – art exhibition, Kuparipaja, Fiskars
2006 Hands and all, Textile Triennial 7, Amos Anderson Art Museum, Helsinki
2004–06 Stream of Seeing, Far Eastern Influences in Finnish Contemporary Art:
Voipaala Art Centre, Sääksmäki (2006), Kiskon Kivimakasiini, Toija (2005), Amos
Anderson Art Museum, Helsinki (2004)
2002–03 Textile Artists of the Year 1992–2002:
Central Museum of Textiles, Lodz, Poland (2003)
Art Museum of Oulu (2003)
The South Karelia Museum, Lappeenranta (2002)
2002 Findesignnow 02, Design Forum, Helsinki
2001 Hokkarikukkia, works from the Collection of Jenny and Antti Wihuri´s Fund in Rovaniemi
Art Museum, Kunsthalle Helsinki
1999 Princess – a Dream Come True, Hämeenlinna Art Museum and Tikanoja Art House, Vaasa
1999 Pyhäniemi Manor, Hollola
1999 Textile Triennial 5, Museum of Applied Arts, Helsinki
1998 Finnish Design 10, Design Forum, Helsinki
1996 Creative hands, Art Museum of Kerava
1996 Woman as an Artist – Breaking the Barriers in Fine Arts, Lönnström Art Museum, Rauma
1995 48th exhibition of the Young Artists, Kunsthalle, Helsinki
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS IN FINLAND
2023 Summer Exhibition, Kivikeskus, Juuka
2022 Herbarium 22: Leena Lehti, Katja Luoto, Paola Pipoca, Ulla Pohjola, Johanna Rossi,
Maija Saksman and Anne Savitie. Pispala Hirvitalo the Centre of Modern Art, Tampere
2019 The Birth and Origin – Synnöve Dickhoff, Helena Kaikkonen, Kaija Poijula and Ulla
Pohjola, Gallery Vanha Kappalaisentalo, Porvoo
2017 Connotations – Synnöve Dickhoff, Helena Kaikkonen, Kaija Poijula and Ulla Pohjola,
Gallery Saskia, Tampere
2017 Connotations – Synnöve Dickhoff, Helena Kaikkonen, Kaija Poijula and Ulla Pohjola,
Gallery Valve, Oulu
2016 Connotations – Synnöve Dickhoff, Helena Kaikkonen, Kaija Poijula and Ulla Pohjola,
Malmitalo Gallery, Helsinki
2016 Miracles of the Moment – Minna Eloranta, Kiti Miller, Mekku Osanen and Ulla Pohjola,
Gallery Ronga, Tampere
2015 Connotations – Synnöve Dickhoff, Helena Kaikkonen, Ulla Pohjola and Kaija Poijula,
Poriginal Gallery, Pori
2014 Tuula Ahonen, Ulla Pohjola, Juha Taskinen and Jarmo Vellonen, Gallery Norppa Art,
Haukiniemi, Savonlinna, Finland
2009 Summer art exhibition, Villa Roosa, Orimattila
2008 Avec, Kerava Art Museum
2008 Together, textile and visual art exhibition, Villa Roosa, Orimattila
2007 Textile art exhibition, Villa Roosa, Orimattila
2006–07 On the Edge – Synnöve Dickhoff, Sari Hedman, Helena Kaikkonen, Riikka Kokko, Tarja Pitkänen and Ulla Pohjola:
Kouvola Art Museum (2007) and
Jetty Barracks Gallery, Helsinki (2006)
2006–07 Käspaikka. Nyt., art exhibition, Joensuu Art Museum
2006 Works, Nordic Contemporary Craft:
Exhibition Centre TR 1, Tampere and Design Forum, Helsinki
2006 True Feelings, textile art exhibition, Villa Roosa, Orimattila
2004–05 Maija Albrecht, Inari Krohn, Ulla Liuhala, Ulla Pohjola and Metta Savolainen:
Gallery Saskia, Tampere (2005), Tikanoja Art House, Vaasa (2004), Gallery Vanha
Kappalaisentalo, Porvoo (2004)
2004–05 Six Points of View. Synnöve Dickhoff, Sari Hedman, Helena Kaikkonen, Riikka
Kokko, Tarja Pitkänen and Ulla Pohjola:
Järvenpää House (2005) and Haihara Art Centre, Tampere (2004)
2002 IHA KUI VAA, Seinäjoki Art Hall, Seinäjoki
2002 Kankaanpää Circle of Art 2002, 15 textile artists at the centre quarters of Kankaanpää
1997 Textile art in the crypt, Crypt of the Dome Church, Helsinki
1997 The memory of the angel, Handicraft Museum of Laura Korpikaivo-Tamminen,
Lappeenranta
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES
2019–20 “Time Tested. Tradition Approved”, American Swedish Institute Minneapolis U.S.A
2018 Connotations – Synnöve Dickhoff, Helena Kaikkonen, Kaija Poijula and Ulla Pohjola, Tampere Maja Gallery, Tartu, Estonia
2017 Visioning Future through Craft and Design, Cheongju International Craft Biennale, South Korea
2017 Olo – Maerkbart, The Joint Nordic Art and Design Travelling Exhibition in Finland and Denmark, Oregaard Museum, Hellerup, Denmark
2017 Mini-textile art exhibition, Grote Kerk, Veere, Netherlands
2017 Mini-textile art exhibition, gallery HAWAR, Oldeberkoop, Netherlands
2016 Face to Face, 18th Minitextile Exhibition, Gallery SVU, Bratislava, Slovakia
2015 Memory of Textile,17th Minitextile Exhibition, Gallery Diamant, Prague, Czech Republic
2015 Memory of Textile,17th Minitextile Exhibition, Gallery SVU, Bratislava, Slovakia
2015 Diversity & Unity, 5th Riga International Textile and Fibre Art Triennial, the Exhibition Hall Arsenals, Riika, Latvia
2014 Textiles over Gold, 16. Minitextile Exhibition, Gallery SVU, Bratislava, Slovakia
2012 Banality and Grace, 14. Minitextile Exhibition, Gallery SVU, Bratislava, Slovakia and University Library of Bratislava
2011 Between tradition and future, Experimental craft and contemporary design from Finland, Cheongju, South-Korea
2010 Hommage a Textilia, The Rösshka Museum, Gothenburg, Sweden
2008 Käspaikka. Nyt. – Art exhibition, Art Museum of Petroskoi, Soviet Union
2007 Works, Nordic Handicraft, Kunstbanken, Hamar, Norway
2004–05 International Lace Biennial, Contemporary art: Max Berk Museum, Heidelberg, Germany (2005) and King Bauduin Space, Brussels, Belgium (2004)
2004–05 Fourth Fiber Art Biennial ”Trame d´Autore”: Textilemuseum, St. Gallen, Switzerland (2005) and Chieri, Italy (2004)
2004 2nd European Triennial Textile and Fibre Art ”Tradition & Innovation”, Riga, Latvia
2003 Fourth International Textile Art Exhibition, Kaunas, Lithuania
2002 Small Works in Fiber:
LongHouse Reserve, New York. U.S.A.
Sofa, Chicago, U.S.A.
MDS (Issey Miyake´s Gallery), Tokyo, Japan
2001 Visions from the Nature, exhibition of Finnish textile art: International Fashion Center, Daegu and Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Soul, South Korea
1998 In Loco 1998, 4 fra Norden, Risor Kunstforening, Norway
1997 3 triennale internationale de Tournai, Tournai, Belgium
1997 Art of the stitch, Embroiderers´ Guild Open Exhibition: Concourse Gallery, Barbican Centre, London and Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley, W. Yorkshire, England
1997 Useless Things, Tallinn Applied Art Triennial, Museum of Applied Arts, Tallinn, Estonia
SELECTED GRANTS
2024 Art Promotion Centre Finland, Pirkanmaa Region, 3-month grant for artistic work and
documentation
2023 Art Promotion Centre Finland, Pirkanmaa Region, 4-month grant for artistic work
2022 Art Promotion Centre Finland, Pirkanmaa Region, 2-month grant for artistic work
2022 Art Promotion Centre Finland, 2-month grant for artistic work
2021 Tampere Artists Association, grant for artistic work
2021 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Corona grant, 3-month grant for artistic work
2020 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Corona grant, 2-month grant for artistic work
2020 Kone Foundation, Home Recidency grant, 3-month grant for artistic work
2019 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Pirkanmaa Region, ½-year grant for artistic work
2019 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, group grant for exhibition costs
2017 Finnish Cultural Foundation, Pirkanmaa Regional Fund, 1-year grant for artistic work
2017 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, target grant for private exhibition costs
2017 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, group grant for exhibition costs
2016 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, group grant for exhibition costs
2013 National Council for Design, target grant for updating the web site
2012–16 National Council for Design, 5-year grant for artistic work
2011 National Council for Design, target grant for private exhibition costs
2010 City of Tampere, for artistic work
2010 Ministry of Education, Board of Compensation Grants to Visual Artists
2008 Finnish Cultural Foundation, for artistic work
2006 Ministry of Education, Board of Compensation Grants to Visual Artists, for the group Kasvinkumppanit
2005–07 National Council for Design, 3-year grant for artistic work
2003 Finnish Cultural Foundation, for artistic work
2002 Greta and William Lehtinen Fund, for artistic work
1998 Finnish Cultural Foundation
1997, 2001 Ministry of Education, Board of Compensation Grants to Visual Artists
WORKS IN COLLECTIONS
Kiasma, Finnish National Gallery, Art Collection of Seppo Fränti 2020
Art Museum of Sorland, Kristiansand, Norway 1998
Art Museum of Oulu 2010
Hiekka Art Museum, Tampere 2012
The Collection of Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Rovaniemi Art Museum 1998, 2000, 2006
Saastamoinen Foundation Art Collection, Espoo Museum of Modern Art 1998, 2003, 2017
The State Art Deposit Collection 1997, 2010, 2013, 2017
Design Museum Helsinki 1995
Lönnström Art Museum, Rauma 1996
Craft Museum of Finland, Jyväskylä 1999, 2018
City of Tampere 2002
Art Collection of the City of Salo 2003, 2007
The Evangelic-Lutheran concregation of Tampere 2004
The Evangelic-Lutheran concregation of Joensuu 2006
The Municipal of Nurmijärvi 2011
Accountant’s Office PR-Systems (present day PR-Syst Partners), Helsinki 2016
Orthodox Church of Tampere, 2024
Private collections
RESIDENCIES
2015 Casa Finlandese, Florence, Italy, one month
2014 2-week residence in Berlin
2008 2-week residence in the Prague, in the premises of Arts Council of Pirkanmaa
2007 Casa Finlandese, Florence, Italy, two months
2006 Skandinaviska Föreningens Konstnärkollegium, Rome, Italy, one month
2001 2-week residence in the Prague, in the premises of Arts Council of Pirkanmaa
2000 Finnish-Swedish Cultural Fund, one week grant for visiting Stockholm