Hanna Ryynänen
As if the World Depended on This
27 August–20 September 2026
In the exhibition As if the World Depended on This, the artist explores humanity through fragility and uncertainty. The three-dimensional works are built from the primordial matter of the world, rays of light and magical beliefs.
The timeless human need to know and understand has led Ryynänen to examine life and humanity. The unexplainable universe and the fundamental questions of life form the world in which the works emerge and live. Belief and hope take turns in the works, reaching towards something transcendental and searching for meaning in existence.
Ryynänen is particularly interested in the points where myths, science and everyday experiences intertwine. Some of the works take the form of machines, acting as intermediaries in timeless human quest to understand one’s place in the world.
Ancient materials serve as the starting point for the works, and through their transformations, Ryynänen unravels the mysteries of our world. The invisible and inexplicable are approached indirectly through material, which itself becomes a carrier of change and meaning. Like an alchemist, the artist melts, burns and combines materials. Glowing-hot, molten metal is irresistible to Ryynänen, and in it one can see the material containing the power of the universe.
Hanna Ryynänen (b. 1993, Lapinlahti) has her roots in jewelry art, which she studied at the Saimaa University of Applied Sciences (Bachelor of Culture and Arts, 2016) and at Sint Lucas Antwerpen in Belgium. In 2024, she graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from Cranbrook Academy of Art in the USA. Ryynänen works in Siilinjärvi and Lappeenranta.
Metal as a material lies at the heart of Ryynänen’s practice, and she makes use of various arts and crafts techniques. In addition to objects and installations, she creates public artworks. Her works are included in the collections of the Finnish State Art Commission, Kuopio Art Museum and the Finnish Jewellery Art Association, as well as in private collections.
Thank you
My work has been supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland’s Arts Council of North Savo. Special thanks to Antti for all your help.
Contact information
ryynanen.hannajuulia (a) gmail.com
www.hannaryynanen.com
Instagram: @hannajuulia
