Julia Niiva

About the Artist

Julia Niiva  (b.1994)  explores the imperfection of visual perception through painting. The gaze groups, selects, assumes and omits. Lately Niiva has painted mostly in thin glaze layers, balancing figurative image and optical illusion. Besides balance, colour is important, and the spatiality of the painting. 

Exhibitions

BFA Exhibition 2026

11 Sept–11 Oct Kuva/Tila

About the artwork

On the canvas, optical patterns and landscape intertwine. As I paint, I become aware of a sense of movement. The surface of the image pulsates. It approaches and then recedes, at times it is difficult to look at. Something shifts, begins to move, comes alive.

I think of painting as a mirage that begins, changes, and comes to an end. Threads of sunlight in the forest, the wind on my face, a memory of a loved one, a favourite tree that I pass on my evening walks, the touch of a dog’s fur.