Eva Ryynänen

Professori
Eva Ryynänen
Eeva Ryynänen in 1969
Eeva Ryynänen in 1969
Born
Eva Åsenbrygg

(1915-06-15)15 June 1915
Died18 October 2001(2001-10-18) (aged 86)
Alma materAcademy of Fine Arts, Helsinki
Known forWood sculpture

Eva Ryynänen (née Åsenbrygg; 15 June 1915 — 18 October 2001) was a Finnish sculptor known especially for her work in wood.[1][2]

Career

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Ryynänen studied at the Academy of Fine Arts (now part of the University of the Arts Helsinki) from 1934 to 1939.[1][2]

Her debut solo exhibition was in 1940.[1] Her breakthrough came in 1974, as a result of an exhibition at the Amos Anderson Art Museum in Helsinki, and a national tour following it.[1]

She created in total c. 500 works, of which approximately 50 are in collections outside Finland.[3]

She is especially known for her numerous wooden sculptures, reliefs and wood carvings housed in many Finnish churches.[2] She also worked extensively with bronze and marble.[1]

Her perhaps most famous creation is the Paateri church in North Karelia, which she built in 1989-1991 entirely of wood. She sculpted everything, including individually designed pews; the altar is an upturned root cluster of a spruce tree.[1]

Honours and awards

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In 1977, Ryynänen was awarded the Pro Finlandia [fi] medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland.[1][4]

In 1998, the honorary title of Professori was conferred on Ryynänen by the President of Finland.[1][3]

She also received the Kalevala 150th anniversary medal in 1985, as well as numerous other awards.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Eva Ryynänen". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 19 October 2001. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Ryynänen, Eva". Uppslagsverket.fi (in Swedish). Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Artist Register - Eva Ryynänen". Kuvataiteilijamatrikkeli.fi (in Finnish). Artists' Association of Finland. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  4. ^ "SUOMEN LEIJONAN PRO FINLANDIA -MITALIN SAAJAT 1945-2021". Ritarikunnat.fi (in Finnish). The Orders of the White Rose of Finland and the Lion of Finland. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2022.