Foto Tallinn | September 18–20, 2026

At Foto Tallinn 2026, Helsinki Contemporary will present a solo exhibition by photographic artist Emma Sarpaniemi. Foto Tallinn 2026 takes place 18—20 September at Kai Art Center.

Emma Sarpaniemi

For Emma Sarpaniemi, places, found objects and pieces of clothing and accessories often work as the starting points of her performative self-portraits. Through photography, she explores womanhood and challenges definitions of femininity. The shutter release cable, often clearly visible in her photos, serves as a symbol of the subject being in control of their own image. The characters she depicts in her work contain parts of the artist’s own identity and combine reality with the imagined.

Emma Sarpaniemi (b. 1993 in Helsinki, Finland) graduated with a BA in Photography from the Royal Academy of Art the Hague KABK. Her works have been extensively exhibited in galleries, museums and festivals throughout Europe. Her notable recent presentations include solo shows at Jarmuschek+Partner in Berlin and NEVVEN in Gothenburg in 2025, solo show Honey Crunch at Finnish Museum of Photography K1 in 2024 and exhibiting at the photographic festival Les Rencontres d’Arles in 2023.

Through the medium of photography, Sarpaniemi transforms herself into multiple characters while remaining unabashedly herself. Her photographs work not only as constructed images, but also as performance documents: what matters most is the experience they convey. For Sarpaniemi, the camera is a tool for processing emotions, contemplating the world, and defying norms. The experience of womanhood is a recurring theme that runs throughout her oeuvre. At the fair some new works would be presented.

For more information:
Olli Piippo, Owner and Director, Helsinki Contemporary
olli.piippo@helsinkicontemporary.com

Katja Räisänen, Sales Director, Helsinki Contemporary
+358 50 464 2911
katja.raisanen@helsinkicontemporary.com