THIS IS FINLAND

For the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the independence of Finland on December 6th, AALTO has collaborated with 6 young photographers to capture all things essentially Finnish through their lenses.

Uwa Iduozee
The photo essay 'Edod' is an exploration into the life of 19-year-old Edod A Lody, a Helsinki native on the verge of adulthood, preparing for the challenges and demands that come with growing up. "When most people think about Finland or being Finnish, Edod and her experiences aren't the first thing that come to mind. Finland is still a very homogeneous society in many ways, and the color of your skin can easily define you as being different, as being "not truly Finnish". Yet the definition of what it means to be Finnish is constantly shifting, despite the fact that many Finns have little or no contact with people from backgrounds that differ from theirs. To me, this is the Finland I've always known and wish others would get to know as well."

Maria Korkeila
"One of my favourite places in Helsinki is Pub Sirdie, a tiny wood-panelled bar in the heart of Kallio. To me this is a very Finnish place: it’s where I like to take friends who are visiting Helsinki. It has this kind of no-bullshit Kaurismäkian charm and sincerity about it. They have an old jukebox with Finnish hits and personal glasses hanging above the counter for regulars. Above the counter there is a silk screen printed Kallio shirt, I once asked the owner if it’s for sale and she told me I’d have to pay at least 3 million euros for it. The dude in the photo is one of my best friends Jaakko."

Jussi Kantonen
"I whistle and motion at the dogs, but they won't come over. These photos were taken while spotting dogs in Helsinki during aw/ss 2017."

Ezra Gould
Weekend: "Our culinary culture is based around meat and potatoes, since hardly anything grows in the cold. Food has been a necessity, through hard times. The rise of the culinary culture has been fairly short. During the weekend, people get together to eat, drink, socialize and come up with quirky ideas."
Warning Sign: "Through our long pagan history, we've created rituals like sauna and ice swimming, to re-channel our energy, to enter between worlds and to remind ourselves about light. The concept of swimming in ice to make one feel better, is the ultimate Finnish way of life." Picture taken from the film Warning Sign: https://vimeo.com/162991905

Emma Sarpaniemi
Living abroad and being away of the loved ones and the familiar surroundings, Finland represents homesickness and love to me. The sorrow strikes in when the plane is taking off. I go back and forth every other month. It’s hard to find the balance between yourself and the life you used to belong.These photographs are an interpretation of my feelings towards the country I was born in.

Iiris Heikka
"For me Finland is black and white. It contains light and shadow, it has white swans and black gooses, it has yin and yang. Some people say that Finns are a melancholic group of people. Each winter I feel the darkness and how it encourages the creativity - the silence, the boredom you have to battle. In the end the summer comes and our shadows are with us - playing with us in the most beautiful sunlight, reminding of the darkness that shall soon pass over us again, but in the meanwhile - let's play!  Compared to many other countries you almost never see a free cat in Finland, but when you do, it feels like magic, because there are not that much happening in the nice and calm suburbs. The cat is the event herself."