Born May 26th 1978 in Jyväskylä, Finland
Lives and works in Helsinki, Finland
Dr. Mikko Rakushin Ijäs (born 1978 in Jyväskylä, lives and works in Helsinki) is a Finnish visual artist and researcher. Mikko Ijäs received his Doctor of Arts degree in 2017 from Aalto University in Helsinki. Ijäs’s doctoral dissertation titled “Fragments of the Hunt” deals with the evolution of art in the context of ethnography, paleontology, art history and neuropsychology. Ijäs’s works are represented in various collections and he has been exhibiting widely both in Finland and abroad.
ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS
2017– University of Helsinki, Affiliate researcher, Department of Geosciences and Geography, Helsinki, Finland
2017–2019 Harvard University, Associate researcher, Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Cambridge, MA, USA
EDUCATION
2017 Doctor of Arts, Aalto University, School of Art and Design, Helsinki
2009 Studies on Neuropsychology, University of Helsinki
2006 Master of Arts, University of Art and Design (visual culture), Helsinki
2004 Bachelor of Arts, Turku Arts Academy (photography), Turku
1999 Degree in Digital imaging, Jyväskylä College, Jyväskylä
1996 Studies in Photo- and Cinematography, Voionmaa Institute, Ylöjärvi
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2016 Samsara, Baari Vakiopaine, Jyväskylä
2011 The Roger W. Rogers Gallery, curated by Andries Fourie, Salem, Oregon, USA
2011 iPhone-drawing blog, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper published 14 never before seen digital animations on their iPhone and iPad app from August to September 2011 issues.
2010 Gallery Korjaamo, Helsinki
2010 Galerie Maud Piquion (together with Mika Karhu), Berlin (Germany)
2010 Gallery Maaret Finnberg (together with Mika Karhu and Jan Kennet Weckman), Turku
2008 Anyway Gallerie, Berlin, Germany
2007 Krista Mikkola’s Studio, Helsinki
2006 Kummigallery, Oulu
2006 Gallery Mania, Tampere (Invitation show)
2005 Jyväskylä Art Museum, Jyväskylä (Invitation show)
2005 Gallery Parasit3, Helsinki
2004 Gallery Titanik, Turku
2003 The Attic Gallery Brinkkala, Turku
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS (recent)
2018 “Fragments of the Hunt -lecture and presentation of the Origins” IFRAO Rock Art Conference, Darfo Boario Terme, Italy
2018 “Fragments of the Hunt -lecture and presentation of the Origins-movie” Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, Windhoek, Namibia
2017 “Fragments of the Hunt -lecture and presentation of the Origins-movie” department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Peabody Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
2017 “Fragments of the Hunt -lecture and presentation of the Origins-movie” department of performing arts, Salem State University, Salem, MA, USA
2017 “Fragments of the Hunt” department of paleontology, University of Helsinki
2017 “Fragments of the Hunt” Arts University, Helsinki
2015 “Eye, hand and mind” University of Jyväskylä
2013 “Studies on Perception” Brookhouse School, Nairobi, Kenya
2013 “Evolution of Art” Art Museum of Jyväskylä
2012 Art and a production of evolution-lecture, Fine Arts Academy, Helsinki
2012 “Past and Future of Drawing” Art Museum of Vantaa
2012 “Memory, Art and Design” International Design and Memory seminar, Aalto University
2011 Photography in Fine-Arts -lecture, Media Department, Aalto University
2010 Photography in Fine-Arts -lecture, Media Department, Aalto University
2010 “Drawing in the twenty-first century” CRESC-conference, St Hugh College, Oxford
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 Telakka 25-years, Kulttuuritalo Telakka, Tampere
2018 Haurasta, curated by Mika Karhu, Hyvinkää Art Museum, Hyvinkää
2016 Boutique, curated by Annamari Vänskä, Video-intallation with Paola Suhonen, Felleshus, Berlin, Germany
2015 FAIL : Stage for Abandoned Art, kuratoinut Martins Rozenfelds, Vapaan Taiteen Tila, Helsinki
2013 Boutique, curated by Annamari Vänskä, Video-intallation with Paola Suhonen, Embassy of Finland, Washington DC, USA
2013 Boutique, curated by Annamari Vänskä, Video-intallation with Paola Suhonen, Embassy of Finland, Washington DC, USA
2013 Checkpoint Leonardo, together with Terike Haapoja, Päivi Hintsanen, Sami Lukkarinen and Liisa Lounila, TR1 Kunsthalle, Tampere
2013 “Synthesis” together with Andries Fourie and Nicky Marais, Le Rustique, Nairobi, Kenya
2013 “New Cubism” with Sami Lukkarinen and Liisa Lounila, Jyväskylä Art Museum
2013 “Drawing in the Flesh” curated by Mika Karhu, Vantaa Art Museum
2013 “Divergent Strategies” curated by Andries Fourie, Bush Barn Art Center, Salem, Oregon (USA)
2012 “And Picasso took his iPad” curated by Paco Barragán, Galleria Trama, Barcelona (SPAIN)
2012 Boutique – Helsinki World Design Capital 2012 -exhibition, curated by Annamari Vänskä, Video-intallation with Paola Suhonen. Amos Andersson Art Museum, Helsinki
2012 Wäinö Aaltonen Museum, Äärimmäisyyksien yhteinen tekijä, Turku
2010 Gallery Studio 77 (together with Andries Fourie and Nicky Marais), Windhoek (Namibia)
2010 Kerava Art Museum, Kipu/Pain, curated by Mika Karhu, Kerava
2010 Ludwig Museum, curated by Mikko Ijäs and Mika Karhu, Koblenz (Germany)
2009 Kunsthalle, Young Artists, Helsinki
2009 Tulipamwe, Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre, Windhoek (Namibia)2009 Tulipamwe, Goethe Centre, Windhoek (Namibia)
2009 Trickle-down Theory, curated by Riiko Sakkinen, Gallery Korjaamo, Helsinki
2008 Fennofolk – New Nordic Oddity, curated by Paola Suhonen, Design Museum, Helsinki
2007 Conversations, curated by Cécile Marie, Kerava Art Museum, Kerava
2007 Mänttä Art Festival, curated by Jani Leinonen, Mänttä
2006 Bomarzo a Bomarzo – Arte Contemporanea, Palazzo Orsini, Bonarzo, Italy
2006 Art Fair Suomi, Cable Factory, Helsinki
2006 Helsinki International 06, curated by Timo Valjakka, Tram Museum, Helsinki
2006 Art Supermarket Pikasso, Helsinki
2006 Välillä on väriä, Jyväskylä Art Museum, Jyväskylä
2006 En ole täällä yksin, curated by Heli Hiltunen, Gallery Hippolyte, Helsinki
2006 Futuro Presento – Nuove Creatività del Mondo, Federcultura, Rome, Italy
2006 Masters of Arts 2006, Lume Centre, Helsinki
2005 Christmas Mania, Gallery Mania, Tampere
2005 Art Fair Suomi, Cable Factory, Helsinki
2004 Manifest05, Gallery Korjaamo, Helsinki
2004 Neljä, curated by Jari Silomaki, Taidepanimo, Lahti
2004 Elämä, curated by Anna Vilkuna, VB-Photographic Centre, Kuopio
2004 Stockholm Art Fair, Stockholm, Sweden
2003 Joku Paiva, The Lonnstrom Art Museum, Rauma
2001 Kaari, Gallery Manilla, Turku
2001 Photographers of Central Finland, curated group exhibition, Gallery Harmonia, Jyvaskyla
FILMS IN MUSEUMS AND ON FILM FESTIVALS
2007 Tampere International Film Festival
2006 Brighton International Film Festival, UK
2006 Deboshir Film Festival, St Petersburg, Russia
2006 AVANTO -Festival, Helsinki
2005 Helsinki Short Film Festival
2000 Edsvik Konst & Kultur, Stockholm, Sweden
1999 Jyväskylä Art Museum
RESIDENCIES and Workshops
2009 Tulipamwe international artists workshop, Okakarara (Namibia)
2003 Polaroid 20×24 Studio, Internship and artistic work for Polaroid Collections, New York (USA)
CURATIONS
2010 Memory Traces -cultural export project to Germany. Organized together with Mika Karhu and Maija Kaunismaa. The project organized a Finnish contemporary art exhibition to Ludwig Museum, Koblenz together with several concerts in Koblenz and four exhibitions to Berlin and performing arts festifal to Berlin. Catalogue of the exhibition was published by Silvana, Milan, Italy.
THEATER
2013 The Finnish National Theater, Play “Kun kyyhkyset katosivat” Première on November 27. 2013. Script by Sofi Oksanen, directed by Raila Leppäkoski, visual design by Mikko Ijäs
2011 The Finnish National Theater, The Omapohja Studio, Music Theather Performance “Kertomuksia keittiöstä”, Première on September 1. 2011, Script by Sofi Oksanen, directed by Titta Halinen, composed and performed by Maija Kaunismaa, visual design and set design by Mikko Ijäs and sound and light design by Ilkka Riihikallio.
1999 Pahnanpohjimmaiset, Play “Buster Keaton”16mm BW silent film projections for the play “Buster Keaton”, Films directed by Mikko Ijäs and Cinematography and film development by Mikko Ijäs. Play directed by Ari Hyyryläinen, Script by Japo Lintunen based on the novel by Kari Hotakainen.
RECONCILIATION PROJECTS
2018 Organized an international Bearing Witness Retreat to Finnish Civil War Prison Camps with Peacemakers Finland.
2018–> Staff member of the annual Bearing Witness retreat at Auschwitz-Birkenau organized by the Zen Peacemakers International.
2018 Lead communication and mindfulness trainings at Helsinki Deaconess Institute.
2018 Founder and spokesperson of the Peacemakers Finland -group, an official affiliate of the Zen Peacemakers International.
2017—18 Volunteer at the Helsinki Salvation Army.
2017 Participated Bearing Witness retreats organized by the Zen Peacemakers in Bosnia and Auschwitz, Poland.
2017 Participated reconciliation workshops at Los Angeles and in Krakow, Poland.
2017 Organized a Street Retreat in Helsinki together with Belgian Zen teacher Frank De Waele.
2016 Participated in GRACE training with Dr. Joan Halifax in Holland.
FILMS
2019 The Origins : Fragments of the Hunt, Directed, written, filmed and edited by Mikko Ijäs, Music Maija Kaunismaa, 74 min, 16:9 Full HD, 5.1 surround sound. 2005 A Film For Three Men and Industrial Elevator, Directed by Jan Ijäs, Cinematography and film development Mikko Ijäs, Jan Ijäs and Rune Snellman, Janmik-Films Ltd. 16mm BW film, 3 min, 1.78:1 HD
1999 Den Sista I Köö, Directed by Jan Ijäs, Rune Snellman and Mikko Ijäs, Cinematography and film development Jan Ijäs and Mikko Ijäs, Janmik-Films Ltd. 16mm BW film installation
1999 Sen Täytyy Tapahtua, Directed by Jan Ijäs, Cinematography by Mikko Ijäs, Janmik-Films Ltd. s16mm BW film, 80 min
1998 Who Stole My Hypnotics, Directed by Jan Ijäs, Cinematography by Mikko Ijäs, Janmik-Films Ltd. 16mm BW film, 5 min
1996 Fore – rakkaudettomat, Directed by Jan Ijäs, Cinematography and film development Mikko Ijäs, Yövieraat Teatteri, 16mm BW film, 30 min
1996 Smith & Wesson, Directed by Jan Ijäs, Cinematography Mikko Ijäs, s16mm BW film, 20 min
PUBLICATIONS
2020 Commentary on Lieberman, Daniel E., et al. (2020) ”Running in Tarahumara (Rarámuri) Culture” Current Anthropology 61.3.
2019 “Art as the Voice of Trauma” article on Mika Karhu Catalogue, Hyvinkää Art Museum.
2017 “Fragments of the Hunt”. doctoral dissertation. 240-pages. Aalto Arts Books, Helsinki
2013 “Drawing in the Flesh – piirtäjän näkökulma” artcle “Silmä, käsi ja mieli – piirtämisen tulevaisuus”. 80-pages. Edited by Mika Karhu. Art Museum of Vantaa and Toolbox Gallery, Vantaa.
2010 “Memory Traces : contemporary art from Finland” article and interview, 144 pages, Silvana, Milano, Italy.
2009 Article “Picasson mieltä kiihoittavat kuvat” Taide-magazine 5/2009, Helsinki
2009 Article “Taidetta vai kulttuuriteollisuutta” Taide-magazine 2/2009, Helsinki
2009 Article “Tutkiva taiteilija” Taide-magazine 1/2009, Helsinki
2007 Article “Walt van Disneyn akateeminen huvipuisto” Voima-magazine 9/2007, Helsinki
WORKS IN COLLECTIONS
Finnish National Gallery (KIASMA)
Polaroid 20×24 Studio, New York (USA)
Finnish Embassy, Windhoek (Namibia)
Arts College of Namibia, Windhoek (Namibia)
Collection of Kerava Art Museum, Kerava
Collection of Jyväskylä Art Museum, Jyväskylä
The Foundation of Teresia ja Rafael Lonnstrom, Rauma
University of Turku
Private Collections, Finland, United States, France, Namibia, Spain, Switzerland
GRANTS (selected)
The Finnish Cultural Foundation
Arts Promotion Centre Finland
People’s Cultural Fund
Saastamoinen Foundation
AVEK
Alfred Kordelin Foundation
Arts Council of Finland
Finnish Fund for Art Exchange
Arts Council of Helsinki Metropolitan Region
MEMBERSHIPS
2005 – The Union of Artist Photographers
2006 – Kiila Ry
2009 – The Union of Researchers
2009 – 2015 Muu Ry
2012 – Union of Theatre, Film and Television Designers
2016 – Zen Peacemakers International
Mikko Ijäs 