MERJA HEINO
painter - visual artist

Tel. +358-50-441 5655
e-mail: merja.heino(at)taloverkot.fi

Born 1959 in Helsinki, lives in Helsinki, Finland

EDUCATIONAL DEGREES

1989-95 Degrees in Painting/Visual Art in Taidekoulu MAA - Artschool
1978-88 Student of Architecture in Helsinki University of Technology,
Otaniemi / Department of Architecture

PRIVATE EXHIBITIONS IN FINLAND

2007 Gallery Katariina, Helsinki
2006 Gallery G, Helsinki
2006 Poleeni Cultural Centre, Pieksämäki
2004 e-gallery, Hanko
2004 Gallery Villa Epe, Savonlinna
2003 Galery Forsblom, Turku
2003 ZAZA, Helsinki
2003 Studio Mezzo, Helsinki
2001 Gabel Gallery, Gabel Factory, Helsinki
2000 tm•gallery (Finnish Painters’ Union Gallery), Helsinki
1999 Gallery Villa Jankovsky, Kajaani
1998 Pihagalleria, Lahti
1998 Gallery Aurora, Porvoo
1997 Studio Mezzo, Helsinki
1997 Galery Pintura, Helsinki
1995/96 Eeva’s Gallery, Helsinki
1991 The Women’s Room Book Café, Helsinki

GROUP EXHIBITIONSIN FINLAND

2008 'Living Things' - paintings, installations, video in Taidepanimo Arthall in Lahti, together: Merja Heino, Ylva Holländer, Tapani Hyypiä, Dan Pamgren, Eeva Tervala
2007 Self portrait -Helsinki Art Association’s 40 Year Exhibition, Gallery Rantakasarmi,Helsinki
2006 Visit for five - Artists’s Association of Uusimaa, Mäntsälä
2005 Cable Artists’ Summer Exhibition, Puristamo in Cable Factory, Helsinki
2005 Emotions Surfacing, Helsinki Art Association’s Summer Exhibition, Gallery Katariina
2004 The X-Exhibition, Suomenlinna Rantakasarmi Gallery, Helsinki
2003 The Union of Finnish Fine Art, Varkaus’s Artmuseum, varkaus
2003 VIRTAA -STRÖMMA-CURRENT!  The County of Uudenmaa’s Fine Art Area Exhibition, Art Factory, Porvoo
2003 Suvi-Pinx Summer, Sysmä
2003 Gallery U, Finnish-Hungarian Art Symposium Joint Exhibition, Helsinki
2002 Pyhäniemi Mansion Summer Exhibition, Hollola
2001 Suvi Mix, Helsinki Art Association’s Summer Exhibition, Gallery Katariina, Helsinki
2001 Cable Artists’ Summer Exhibition, Valssaamo in Cable Factory, Helsinki
2001 ’Kappas Kaapeli’, Cable Gallery, Gabel Factory, Helsinki
2000 Cable Artists’ Summer Exhibition, Cable Factory, Helsinki
2000 Dwelling Fair, Tuusula (in houses of Puustelli and Optiroc Oy)
2000 MINI - Helsinki Art Association’s Summer Exhibition, Gallery Katariina, Helsinki
2000 Pyhäniemi mansion Summer exhibition, Hollola
1999 'Kuusi loistavaa'- ’Six Brilliant’, Kustaankartano Home for the Elderly, Helsinki  (Lighting-installation-project with the Northern Lights -workshop in the Helsinki University of Art and Design, part of the Helsinki 2000 Cultural City Foundation -projekt).
1999 Honkahovi Art Centre, Mänttä
1999 Paloja—Bitar 99, Galery Hörhammer, Helsinki
1999 Koti särkyneelle mielelle/Home with a Broken Mind -exhibition, Takaikkuna, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki
1999 Portfolioexhibition, Projectroom, Kiasma, Helsinki
1998 The Union of Finnish Fine Art, 60 Years Exhibition, The Artmuseum of Savonlinna
1998 The Summer Exhibition of Eeva’s Gallery, Hanko
1997 Helsinki Art Association’s 30 Year Exhibition, Gabel Factory, Helsinki
1997 Taiteilijat muuntamoissa - Artists in Transformers, Transformer-group (participants Anu Tuominen, Niran Baibulat, Merja Heino, Anne Siirtola, Marja Söderlund, with curator Hanna Johansson )
1997 Leikkaus 102, Artist Association of Finland’s 102 Yearly Exhibition, Kunsthalle, Helsinki
1996 Earth’s Picture - Maan kuva, Helkama-talo, Hanko
1995 Vapaan Uudenmaan Vapaa Näyttely, Vanha Villatehdas, Hyvinkää

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIA AND WORKSHOPS

2003 IN VIA 6 - Internationales Künstlerinnen Symposium and Joint Exhibition  im Splügenpass, Schweiz
2002 3. International Graphic Workshp, Imatra, Finland;
2001 Finnish-Hungarian Artists' symposium and workshop, Felsöörs, and Joint Exhibitions in Balatonfüred and Vesprem, Hungary
2001 2. International Graphic Workshop, Imatra, Finland
2000 Tulipamwe International Artists’ Workshop, Kansimba Game Lodge, and Joint Exhibitions in Widhoek, Namibia
2000 Tulipamwe Womens Workshop (as a teacher) and Joint Exhibition, Windhoek, Namibia.

WORKS IN THE FOLLOWING COLLECTIONS 

2005 The Finnish Parliament Art Collection, Helsinki, Finland
2004 Helsinki City Art Museum
2001 A. Ahlström Oy, Helsinki, Finland
2000 Elisa Communications, Helsinki, Finland
1998, -97, -95 The Finnish Government Collection (The Cabinet, the Entranshall of the Prime Minister; the Ministry of Education)
1995 Nokia Mobile Phones, Keilalahti, Espoo, Finland
1995 Reader’s Digest Ab - Oy Valitut Palat, Helsinki, Finland
1995 Kämp Hotel, Helsinki, Finland
1995 The Union of Technical Employees, Majvik, Finland
1991 Union Women's Rights Federation in Finland, Helsinki, Finland

COMMISSIONS 

Since 1998 Private commissions throughout Finland
1997 Nokia Mobile Phones, Espoo, Finland

COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS 

2004 New Parliament House Art Competition, B-series (artwork was one of  the 27 works selected from 1700 works)
1998 Kemira’s Painting competition, Aseries (two artworks)

GRANTS

2005 Ministry of Education, the Showing Grant for Visual Artists scholarship
2005 The County of Uudenmaa’s Council of Fine Arts
2002 Alfred Kordelin Foundation
2000 Ministry of Education, the Showing Grant for Visual Artists scholarship
1999 Alfred Kordelin Foundation
1998 The County of Uudenmaa’s Council of Fine Arts

Grants for Artists Groups:

1997 The Finnish Cultural Foundation:   
-”Transformer”-group
-travel grant to Prague to explore the relationship of Architecture and Fine Art
1997 The Arts Council of Finland, joint grant for the ”Transformer”-Group

MEMBERSHIPS

MUU ry
Finnish Painters’ Union
Helsinki Art Association
Artists of Gabel Factory 1999-2002, 2004-07

ARTIST REPRESENTATION - APPOINTMENTS 

Exhibition Committee for  the Finnish Painters Union:
- Chairperson 2003,04-05
- Member  for  the Exhibition Committee 2000-01, 02

Board of the Finnish Painters’ Union:
- Vice Chairperson 2001-02
- Board  Member 1999-00, 01-02
- Aspirant Members’ representative 97-98

Board of the Finnish Artists’ Studio Foundation:
- Board Member 2002-04, Chairperson 2003-04

Artists’ Association in Finland:
- Debuty member 2002-03

Helsinki Kunsthalle Foundation:
- Board Member 2000-02
- Debuty  member 1999

Lutheran Congregation’s Art Department SECCO:
- Expert Art Member of the  2004-05
- Member of the Editorial Boarde of the TAIDE art magazine 2003
- Member of the Representative Body of Delegation of The Artists’ Association of Finland  2000-05

CURATOR AND JURY DUTIES 

2005 Exhibition Juror and Architect for the Ars Nova Art Association’s  Year Exhibition, Savonlinna Art  Museum, Savonlinna, Finland
2003-04 Curator and Exhibition Architect for the Finnish Painters’  Union’s Portugal Exhibition
“On the Road”,  showing at the Museum of Water, 1 October-13th November 2004 Lisbon, Portugal (29 artists, paintings, installations, videos)
2003 Exhibition Juror and Architect for the Espoo Art Association’s Year  Exhibition,  Valssaamo in Cable Factory, Helsinki, Finland
2002 Exhibition Juror and Architect for the Kirkkonummi Art Association’s 30 Year Exhibition, Kirkkonummi Exhibition, Kirkkonummi, Finland
2000-01 Member of the jury for the Finnish Painter’s Union’s  Finnish exhibition “On the Road”
2000-01 Exhibition Architect for the Finnish Painter’s Union’s Finnish exhibition “On the Road”, showing in Seinajoki Art Hall (Seinäjoki, Finland), Imatra Art Museum (Imatra, Finland), Rauma Art Museum (Rauma, Finland), and the Lönnström Art Museum (Rauma, Finland)

OTHER ART ACTIVITIES

Illustrations and Grapfic Design:
2002, -03, -04 Finnish Painters’  Union’s Annual Exhibition Catalogue ’NÄITKÖ...’ (’Did You See...’) 
2002, -02, -04 Annual Invitations for Painters’  Unions Art Fair 
2004 Illustrations for  the Publishig Company WSOY 
1995-2000 Illustrations for Nature Protector Magazine 
1990 Comics illustrations for the Helsinki University (”Unofficial Guide for the New Student)
1981-82 Postcards and illustrations for Finnair Junior Club magazine 

ORGANISATIONS

1997-2000 PR-officer for Finnish Painters’ Union’s tm-gallery 
1996 Exhibition secretary, 3 months period, tm-gallery, Finnish Painters’ Union
1995-2000 Weekend gallerist for the tm-gallery, Finnish painters’ Union 

OTHER ART ACTIVITIES

2003-04 Free-lance writer in Rakentava Magazine (architecture and contruction)
1993-2002 Art  teacher for several cources in Helsinki, Finland 
2000 Art teacher for Women’s Tulipamwe Workshop, in Windhoek, Namibia 
1992,-94 Founding and teaching Children’s art classes with Katariina Lager, Helsinki 
1980’s -  Working in several Architect Offices, such as the offices Esa Laaksonen, Kari Järvinen  and Timo Airas, Eero Valjakka.