Anu Lehto

Basic information

b. 1977, Heinola
Visual Artist, Media Artist
Residence: Helsinki

Contact information

Phone number: 0407786783

Artist’s Statement

I work within the fields of spatial and temporal art, using moving image, installation, text and sound as my primary mediums. My artistic practice moves between media art and sculpture. I explore themes related to private and public, mental and physical space, and how these dimensions affect visual storytelling. I am particularly interested in how space or place shapes the meaning, atmosphere, and narrative qualities of a work – and what happens when part of the authorship is handed over to the environment.

I also work on design projects that bring together art, technology, and spatiality. I am interested in urban space and examine the interaction between art and space from both individual and communal perspectives. I participate in projects that focus on designing better urban environments for both people and animals. In my work, I emphasize the importance of urban greenery, public art, and placemaking.

The role of empathy in both design and artistic thinking is essential to me. I believe that art and design have the ability to reveal layers of space, environment, and experience that might otherwise remain unnoticed.
Show biography

Bio

Visual artist &
Digital Designer


Anu Lehto is a Helsinki-based visual storyteller working in the fields of media art, installation, site-specific art and digital design.


She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Turku Arts Academy and has studied interactive storytelling at Aalto University’s Media Lab (MFA). She has worked as an art director and designer, creating visual concepts and accessible user experiences in digital environments.


In her artistic practice, Lehto explores the layered relationship between private and public, mental and physical space through moving image, installation, sound, text, and sculptural elements. Her approach is process-driven and draws from everyday observations, memory, and lived experience, unfolding in dialogue with space, communities, and structures.


She is particularly interested in how space and place influence the meaning, atmosphere, and narrative potential of a work—and what happens when part of the authorship is shared with the environment. In addition to her artistic practice, Lehto participates in multidisciplinary design projects that combine art, technology, and spatial thinking. She focuses on projects that aim to improve urban environments for both humans and other species, emphasizing the importance of urban greenery, public art, and placemaking.


Lehto is currently completing a specialization program in public art and is a member of MUU Artists’ Association, Ornamo, and Grafia.