Johanna Ehrnrooth prize awarded to visual artist Alena Tereshko
The prize, awarded by the University of the Arts Helsinki Foundation, is intended to support the international pursuits of young visual artists and to facilitate the transition from studies to a professional career. The €10,000 prize is awarded annually to an artist participating in the Kuvan Kevät MFA Degree Show.
The 2025 recipient of the Johanna Ehrnrooth Prize is visual arts student Alena Tereshko (b. 1986). She was selected from among the artists participating in the Kuvan Kevät MFA Degree Show, held annually by Uniarts Helsinki’s Academy of Fine Arts. The €10,000 prize is awarded by the University of the Arts Helsinki Foundation.
Tereshko, who studies in the subject area of time and space, participated in the degree show with a pair of works: the painting Roman Charity. After P.P. Rubens (2024) and the video work Roman Charity (2025). Together, they form a personal interpretation of Peter Paul Rubens’ painting Roman Charity (c. 1612), which is based on a tale by the Roman author Valerius Maximus. In the story, a daughter named Pero secretly breastfeeds her imprisoned and starving father Cimon. The theme was a popular subject in 17th-century Italian art.
Tereshko, who was born in Russia, combines this art historical scene with autobiographical elements from her childhood in an industrial city where her mother was incarcerated.
“This body of work is delicate, incredible, and—despite its intensity—surprisingly tender. Alena Tereshko manages to be poetic and political at the same time, seamlessly blending different historical periods into her unique narrative,” says Leevi Haapala, Dean of the Academy of Fine Arts and Chair of the prize selection committee.
The prize was awarded to Tereshko by Leevi Haapala and Heikki Lehtonen, Chair of the Uniarts Foundation Board, at the Kuvan Kevät opening on May 16. The selection committee also included Hanna Johansson, Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts; Nina Liebenberg, curator of the Kuvan Kevät exhibition; and artist and alum Anna Tuori.
The Johanna Ehrnrooth Prize is awarded annually to an artist participating in the Academy of Fine Arts’ Kuvan Kevät MFA Degree Show. This was the second time the prize has been awarded. The recipient is chosen based on their demonstrated potential and interest in pursuing an international career in visual arts. The prize is funded by a memorial fund established in honor of visual artist Johanna Ehrnrooth and managed by the University of the Arts Helsinki Foundation.
The University of the Arts Helsinki Foundation grants scholarships and prizes to young artists to support their studies and early careers in visual and performing arts. The foundation’s funds come from bequests and donations.