Kati Leskinen

Kati Leskinen
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Basic information

b. 1989, Vantaa
Visual Artist
Residence: Vantaa

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Artist’s Statement

Kati Leskinen (born 1989) combines urban contemporary aesthetics with the timeless iconography of early humanity in her work. Her art reflects influences from street art, comics, and primitive art, creating visual narratives that exist between the familiar and the unexpected. For Leskinen, it is important to explore humanity and human relationships through distorted, exaggerated depictions of people, painting not only visible things but also the invisible, such as the flow of words between people. The primary material she uses is ink, which allows for both precision and spontaneity. In some of her works, she also incorporates plant pigments to add organic depth and a sense of place. Other materials include clay, especially with pit firing techniques.

Why did you become an artist? Because I perceive and structure the world around me best through painting or sculpting, and in addition, ideas constantly pop into my head and clog up all my thoughts otherwise.
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Current information

8.-16.3.2025 The Finnish Painters' Union: Sales Event, Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki

2.-30.6.2025 Artist Residency, Salzburg, Austria.

2.-26.10.2025 Exhibition, Vapaa kaupunki, Helsinki.

15.-28.6.2026 Exhibition, Galerie Pleiku, Berlin, Germany.

Bio

Kati Leskinen (b. 1989) is a Finnish artist whose work blends urban contemporary aesthetics with the timeless visual language of early humanity. Leskinen’s art explores humanity, interpersonal relationships, and visual narratives where the familiar meets the unexpected. Her works reflect influences from street art, comics, and primitive art, creating expressive and often simplified images.

Leskinen primarily uses ink, which allows for both precision and spontaneity. She also incorporates plant-based pigments to add organic depth and a sense of place to her works. Additionally, she often uses materials such as envelopes that fall through a mail slot, bringing a connection to the everyday and unexpected into her creations. These materials enable her to make visible things that are not visible, such as the flow of words and the transmission of emotions between people. Her art often features grotesque, "floppy" human figures that exist in an ambiguous space between humanity and distorted forms.

Leskinen participated in the ConCreate Kerahallit 2021 exhibition, where she presented a fusion of demolition art, grotesque characters, and delicate natural pigments. In this exhibition, she explored themes related to working life, combining urban aesthetics with fragile elements of nature. Other significant group exhibitions have included Drawing 2024 (Rovaniemi) and Ars Nartae 2022 (Rovaniemi), where she presented works addressing both personal and societal themes.

Leskinen's artist residencies have taken her to Budapest, Porvoo, and in 2025, she will be heading to Salzburg, Austria. These residencies have provided Leskinen with opportunities to deepen her artistic expression and explore different cultures and their influences.