Galerie Anhava (FI)

For the past 35 years, Galerie Anhava has been deeply committed to long-term representation of its emerging and established artists, all working with diverse artistic practices across various media. Based in Helsinki, the gallery’s program focuses on Nordic and Finnish contemporary art with an aim to foster dialogues between artists, institutions, collectors as well as larger audiences. Galerie Anhava was founded in 1991 by Ilona Anhava, with Hanna Huitu taking over as gallerist in 2019. The gallery has been consistently active on an international level through art fairs and varied international projects and collaborations.

Fredrikinkatu 43
00120 Helsinki
Finland
(+358) 9 669 989

galerie@anhava.com
anhava.com

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Curated for
CHART

For CHART 2026, Galerie Anhava is pleased to present Essi Kuokkanen, Päivi Takala and artist duo Grönlund-Nisunen, who all possess a sharp eye for what lies behind the surface, beyond words and the mundane. Päivi Takala’s paintings carry a quiet, serene quality, crystallizing questions of existing and co-existing in the world. In Essi Kuokkanen’s paintings, the inside worlds of feelings receive physical forms, with emotions and conflicted balances of power stirring the characters. The Empty Inside series by Grönlund-Nisunen unveils the forces of nature, collapsing the cubes made of stainless steel with pressure by sinking them to the depths of the sea.

Essi Kuokkanen (FI)

Exploring ideas of sensitivity, introspection and sympathy, Essi Kuokkanen’s works question the implicit behavioural norms of the visible world we inhabit. Natural forms and everyday consumer goods are endowed with a human aspect. Often focused on their own thoughts and occupied with a downwards gaze, Kuokkanen creates humorous surface images that mask a hidden solemn depth.

Essi Kuokkanen (b. 1991) lives and works in Helsinki. Having graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki, she has presented several solo exhibitions of her work. Her paintings are included in collections such the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art and the Finnish State Art Commission. Kuokkanen was awarded the Ducat Prize of the Finnish Art Society in 2019. She has recently also held a solo exhibition at Turku Art Museum (2023), and taken part in group exhibitions i.a. at EMMA Museum, Kiasma and Rovaniemi Art Museum. Kuokkanen has works in numerous major Finnish collections, and private collections in the Nordic.

Dazzling Joy

Oil on canvas
2025

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Anhava. Photo by Jussi Tiainen

Waiting for the Baby

Oil on canvas
2022

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Anhava. Photo by Jussi Tiainen

I would love you in every world

Oil on canvas
2025

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Anhava. Photo by Jussi Tiainen

Decomposing Crying Growing

Oil on canvas
2024

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Anhava. Photo by Eetu Huhtala

Portrait of Essi Kuokkanen

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Anhava. Photo by Eetu Huhtala

Päivi Takala (FI)

During her extensive career, PÄIVI TAKALA has explored painting as medium through disintegration, modification and reparation by for example physically perforating, sawing, and patching the paintings back together with cement. In her latest works, informed by the palette and quiet presence of Renaissance frescoes, she has focused on our complicated relationship living with other beings – horses, birds or flora. Takala graduated from Hochschule der Künste, Berlin in 1998, and University of Art and Design, Helsinki in 1996, and in addition to her artistic work, Takala has taught painting at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts since 2014.

PÄIVI TAKALA (b. 1970, FI) has works in major private and institutional collections, both private and institutional. She has exhibited recently at Ulterior Gallery, New York (2026); with solo exhibitions at i.a. Cecilia Hillström Gallery, Stockholm (2025); Turku Art Museum (2013), Galleri Lars Olsen (2013), and Gallery Bourouina, Berlin (2011).

Hi there II

Oil on canvas
2024

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Anhava. Photo by Jussi Tiainen

My Precious

Exhibition view
2024

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Anhava. Photo by Jussi Tiainen

Enquire

Shelter I

Oil on canvas
2024

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Anhava. Photo Jussi Tiainen

Still Life

Oil on canvas
2024

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Anhava. Photo by Jussi Tiainen

Birdlife

Exhibition view
2021

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Anhava. Photo Jussi Tiainen

Portrait of Päivi Takala

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Anhava. Photo by Vesa Pekka Rannikko

Grönlund-Nisunen (FI)

GRÖNLUND-NISUNEN have been working together since the 80’s, creating their architectural and kinetic installations in both exhibition spaces, biennials and as public and private commissions. Their minimalistic, restrained language is poetic in its preciseness, combining architecture, visual arts, design and sound art. Using technology, sound and light as primary material in their works, their art addresses issues of space and physical phenomena through sophisticated installations often playing with physical laws of nature.

Tommi Grönlund (b.1967, FI) and Petteri Nisunen (b.1962, FI) live and work in Helsinki. They have exhibited extensively around the world, completed numerous public commissions in the Nordic countries, and have their works in several major public and private collections. In 2001, they curated Nordic Pavilion in 49th Venice Biennial.