Merja Aletta Ranttila
{{Short description|Finnish Sámi visual artist}}
Merja Aletta Ranttila (b. 23 May 1960, Utsjoki, Finland) is a well-known Finnish Sámi visual artist, illustrator, and printmaker. Ranttila has made Sami culture known in various exhibitions in Finland and abroad.
Early life and education
Ranttila spent her childhood in Lemmenjoki. She has a mountain Sámi background, and Northern Sámi is her mother tongue.
Ranttila studied at Lapland Art School from 1980 to 1982{{Cite web |title=Kipeän omakohtaista taidetta |url=https://www.kaleva.fi/kipean-omakohtaista-taidetta/2035449 |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=Kaleva |language=fi}} and Rovaniemi Art and Craft School from 1982 to 1986.{{Cite web |date=2013-10-01 |title=Taiteilija ruuvasi korkin kiinni - kaikki taulut myytiin avajaisissa |url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/taiteilija_ruuvasi_korkin_kiinni_-_kaikki_taulut_myytiin_avajaisissa/6858279 |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=Yle Uutiset |language=fi}}
Career
At the beginning of her career, Ranttila made illustrations for textbooks and fairy tales, and collections of short stories and novels.{{Cite web |date=2008-02-06 |title=Ranttilan shamanistinen ekspressionismi syntyy pimeässä |url=https://www.ts.fi/kulttuuri/1074258907 |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=Turun Sanomat |language=fi}} Her first illustration work was the 600 pictures of Davvi's textbook, which she did in 1980. She has also drawn postcards. Ranttilla was specially commissioned for Sámi subjects. In the early 1990s, she introduced the linocut technique.
In January 2012, Finnish national post service Posti published stickers illustrated by Ranttila.{{Cite web |date=2012-01-19 |title=Sajoksesta postimerkkiarkki |url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/3-5069465 |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=Yle Uutiset |language=fi}}
Ranttila became widely publicized in 1993 when priests interpreted her works as "shamanism and satanism". It was the Shamaani summer held at Tornio's Aine art museum.
Ranttila participated in the Madrid art fair in 1995.{{Cite web |last=Marja-Terttu |first=Kivirinta |date=1995-02-05 |title=Merja Aletta Ranttila Madridin taidemessuille |url=https://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/art-2000003405443.html |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=Helsingin Sanomat |language=fi}}
In 2001, Ranttila participated in a joint exhibition of Finnish artists in Australia.
In the fall of 2002, Ranttila spent a month at the artist residency of the Finnish-African cultural center Villa Karo in Berlin.{{Cite web |title=Afrikan tuulet ja voimalliset henget |url=https://www.kaleva.fi/afrikan-tuulet-ja-voimalliset-henget/2146859 |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=Kaleva |language=fi}} As a result, together with her sister, textile artist Seija Ranttila, Ranttila held an African-inspired exhibition in Oulu.
In 2015, Ranttila participated in a joint exhibition of Northern Finnish artists. Around the time of the Finland 100 theme, she held an exhibition in Paris. She has been designing ice sculptures.{{Cite web |title=Jääpuisto avaa ovensa ensimmäiselle sesongille Inarissa |url=https://www.inarilainen.fi/uutiset/jaapuisto-avaa-ovensa-ensimmaiselle-sesongille-inarissa-6.249.1746180.113ae8c7ab |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=www.inarilainen.fi |language=fi}}
Ranttila has also worked as a gallerist.
Style
Ranttila's art has been classified as shamanistic expressionism. Her art has also been considered feminist art.{{Cite web |last=Ronkainen |first=Maria |date=2016 |title=Erään naisen muotokuva- Merja Aletta Ranttilan taide |url=https://jyx.jyu.fi/bitstream/handle/123456789/49222/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-201603311970.pdf?sequence=1 |access-date=25 August 2022}} Ranttila is classified as belonging to the second generation of Sámi visual artists.
Ranttila said she felt the need to release the traumas of his childhood in a Lestadio environment.{{Cite web |last=Ruutiainen |first=Päivi |title=Saamelainen kuvataide Suomessa – kolmen kuvataiteilijasukupolven kautta tarkasteltunaTahiti |url=http://tahiti.fi/04-2013/dossier/saamelainen-kuvataide-suomessa-%e2%80%93-kolmen-kuvataiteilijasukupolven-kautta-tarkasteltuna/ |access-date=2022-08-25 |language=fi}} The works take a stand on the awkward and locked-in position of women in the world of fishing. Her works are known for their symbolism, dreaminess, often recurring devil and female characters, and references to dramatic news events of the time the works were created. She has described her personal crises in her works. There are often animals in the pictures.
Private life
Scholarships
- 2005 - grant from The Sámi Council's cultural committee.{{Cite web |date=2005-03-08 |title=Saamelaistaiteilijat saivat apurahoja |url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/saamelaistaiteilijat_saivat_apurahoja/5166125 |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=Yle Uutiset |language=fi}}
- 2007 - grant from The Central Art Committee.{{Cite web |date=2007-10-04 |title=Taiteen viisivuotisapurahat myönnettiin |url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/taiteen_viisivuotisapurahat_myonnettiin/5804891 |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=Yle Uutiset |language=fi}}
- 2016 - grant of 12,000 Euros for artistic work from the Lapland Fund of the Finnish Cultural Fund.
- 2017 - grant of 5,000 euros from the Art Promotion Center (Taike) for exhibition costs.{{Cite web |date=2017-03-22 |title=Taike jakoi yli puoli miljoonaa euroa kuvataiteelle |url=https://taiteilijalehti.fi/taike-jakoi-yli-puoli-miljoonaa-euroa-kuvataiteelle |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=Taiteilija |language=fi}}
Awards
- 1993 - State prize for children's culture
- 1994 - Urpo and Maija Lahtinen Foundation Art Award
- 2000 - Culture award of the Sámi assemblies
- 2014 - Pohjola Osuuspankki Pearl Award
References
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Category:21st-century Finnish women artists
Category:21st-century Finnish artists
Category:20th-century Finnish women artists
Category:20th-century Finnish artists