. . . M i r k a H o k k a n e n . . .

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Mirka Hokkanen was born in 1979 in Helsinki, Finland. Growing up she was always close to the nature, playing in the woods and swimming in the lakes. Her life took a new direction when she moved to the U.S. in 1998 to attend Rockford College in Illinois.

Mirka finished her BFA in 2002, and received both MA (2004) and MFA (2006) degrees in printmaking from University of Dallas, TX. Since then she has taught art in the Savannah, GA, area at Columbia College and Armstrong Atlantic State University, before moving to Dupont, WA, where she currently lives. Mirka now works as a fulltime artist, illustrator, instructor and crafts person. Her works have been exhibited both nationally and internationally.

Though Hokkanen has lived in America for a long time, her work still reflects her heritage and upbringing. A respect for and closeness to nature draws Mirka to issues concerning the environment and animals and mans’ relationship with them.

 
The subject of my art has always been animals and nature. After moving to the US, in 1998, I was struck by how disconnected people seemed to be from nature and how western cultures seem to be increasingly moving towards commodity/commercial cultures. For the past 7 years I have been making art about our relationship with the food chain and how contemporary farming practices are neither sustainable nor healthy. These pieces, mainly etchings, screenprints and encaustic, are more serious in mood and based on facts.

Recently I have started a new series which is more imaginative and whimsical. The theme is our relationship with animals which are being pushed out of their habitats by sprawling cities. Part of the inspiration for this series comes from old folktales, George Orwell's book Animal Farm and the contemporary stories like Spiderwick. In these pieces the animals are secretly spying on us and plotting to take their homeland back.

I use a variety of printmaking and drawing techniques, depending on what materials are available to me at a given time and what best suits the message I am trying to communicate.

contact: mirka@mirkah.com copyright 2008 Mirka Hokkanen