Tapani Hyypiä is a Finnish artist, who lives and works in Helsinki.
He has been active in the Finnish art field for over twenty years, with a dedicated painting practice. His artworks are heavily process based, with a focus on abstraction and a strong emphasis on the craft of painting. His paintings pursue the ephemeral meditative qualities of light and colour.
His methods of working include a special focus on the nuances of colour and purposeful repetition in the form of self imposed restrictions, where a recognizable form emerges again and again mutating from painting to painting. Hyypiä builds up each painting in a slow meticulous method of using several thin translucent layers in a delicate play between clarity and opacity, creating a deep and intense feeling of vibrancy.
He has exhibited his works extensively in galleries and museums in Finland, such as Amos Anderson Art Museum, Kouvola Art Museum, Pori Art Museum and Vantaa Art museum. He has also shown internationally with exhibitions in Estonia, Germany, Ireland and Latvia. He is represented by Ama Gallery, Helsinki Finland.
He has taken part in several artist residencies in Ireland; Aras Eanna Arts Centre, Arans Islands, Co. Galway; Heinrich Böll Cottage Achill Island, Co. Mayo and Cill Rialaig, Co. Kerry.
Hyypiä spent three months as a guest artist in residence in 2016-2017 at the WerkStadt in Berlin, Germany.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 Paintings, Ama Gallery, Helsinki, Finland (upcoming 10.1 – 2.2.2025)
2024 Paintings, Galleria Nuovo, Lahti, Finland
2023 Woikka Contemporary, Finland
2021 Utuisaa / Haze, Custom House Studios & Gallery, Westport, Ireland
2019 Galleria Nuovo, Lahti, Finland
2018 Paintings & Drawings, Ama Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
2012 Ama Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
2009 Galleria Just, Turku, Finland
2007 Galleria Aarni, Espoo, Finland
2002 Galleria Uusitalo, Helsinki, Finland
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Pillow Talk, Vaasan Taidehalli, Vaasa, Finland
2022 Winter exhibition, Ama Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
2020 Summer Exhibition, Ama Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
2019 With the eyes of my mind, The Collectors Gaze, Pori Art Museum, Finland
2017 Reflecting Rothko, Rietumu Bank Art Gallery, Riga, Latvia
2016 ooo collective, Mältinranta Art Centre, Tampere, Finland
2016 ooo collective, Galleria Huuto, Helsinki, Finland
2015 Landscape Metropolis, Gallery G11, Berlin, Germany
2014 Reunion, Porvoo Taidehalli, Finland
2009 SKjL 09: Finnish Art, Kouvola Art Museum, Finland
2009 Never retire, Vantaa Art Museum, Finland
2009 Painters ‘Union’s 80th anniversary exhibition, Amos Anderson Art Museum, Finland
2007 Deep Purple, SKjL’s anniversary exhibition, Lapinlahti Art Museum,
2006 Echo, Ahjo Art Centre, Joensuu, Finland
2005 SKjL 05: Finnish Art, Porvoo Art Factory, Finland
2004 Uusimaa region arts organizations, Porvoo Art Factory, Finland
2003 Power! Porvoo Art Factory, Finland
2002 Near the surface, Brinkkalan Gallery, Turku Cultural Centre
1999 Gallery Johan S. Porvoo
EDUCATION
1996-2000 Fine Art, Vapaa Taidekoulu (Free Art School), Helsinki, Finland
1984-85 English, Drama, Aesthetics & Drawing studies, University of Helsinki, Finland
1974-75 Fine Art, Vapaa Taidekoulu (Free Art School) Helsinki, Finland
GRANTS
2022 Taike supplementary artist pension (awarded as recognition of an outstanding contribution to the creative arts by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture).
2021 Finnish Cultural Foundation
2020 Taike (Arts Promotion Centre, Finland)
2018 Taike (Arts Promotion Centre, Finland)
2016 Taike (Arts Promotion Centre, Finland)
2011 Taike (Arts Promotion Centre, Finland)
2005 Taike (Arts Promotion Centre, Finland)
2004 Alfred Kordelin Foundation
2002 Taike (Arts Promotion Centre, Finland), Regional Arts Council of Uusimaa
RESIDENCIES
2022 Cill Rialaig Arts Centre, Co. Kerry, Ireland
2021 Áras Éanna Arts Centre, Inis Oirr Island, Co. Galway, Ireland
2021 Tuulensuu Ateljeetalo, Viitasaari, Finland
2020 Aspan Ateljee, (SKJL) Lohja, Finland
2019 Heinrich Böll Cottage, Achill Island, Ireland
2017 BetOnest, Artist in Residence, Stople/Oder, Brandenburg, Germany
2016-17 WerkStadt, Berlin, Germany
2016 RASi637, Artist in Residence, Tirva, Finland
PERMANENT PUBLIC ART WORKS / COLLABORATIONS
2006 Public Wall Mural “cave paintings”, University of Helsinki (Kaisaniemi) metro station
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Amos Anderson Art Museum
Finnish State Art Deposit Collection
Finnish Art Society
Nurmijärvi Municipality
HUS (Helsinki University Hospital)
Pori Art Museum Deponointikokoelma / AJ
MEMBERSHIPS
Finnish Painters’ Union
Helsinki Artists’ Association