Mirja's CV

Be it brush on canvas or a camera lens to the world, creativity, from an early age has been a significant part of my life. It has led me to destinations such as New York, Berlin, Rome, London and Amsterdam in search of material for my projects. Urban Dreams is such a collection that draws inspiration from the streets of these iconic cities.
    
Most of my artworks are digital collages. The process to create a final version of my artwork can take quite a long time. It all starts with an idea. After that I start to gather material, this could involve for example going to photograph Scandinavian rock art as I did for Archaic Dreams series.

Materials can be almost anything – hand drawings and paintings, my photos and even sometimes vector graphics. The most important thing is that they are my own unique creation. The final stage of my creative process involves a lot of choices and decisions between slight variations in tonalities and saturation that will result in the final version.

I have used the artist name Mirja Birgitta since 2015.

There are available hand-signed museum quality prints of each of my digital artworks. They are also available as poster quality re-prints, bearing my logo and can be found on the Saatchi Art online store:
https://www.saatchiart.com/MirjaBirgitta

Series of Dreams is a wide project that has spanned over 15 years and is still marching forward with my collection of abstract works growing at steady pace. The series has been exhibited on multiple occasions.
 
One of my main themes is time. In particular I use a concept that I like to term Vertical Time. A single layered point is the foundation upon which I lay the past, the present and the future. This layered dimension of depth is best expressed by using digital techniques.  

Vertical time is a research that evolved from my 2005 series Archaic Dreams. In that series I blended and fused my photographs of ancient Scandinavian rock paintings and carvings, northern shamanistic symbols and images of present day wildlife and nature.

A person may notice that vertical time is a reoccurring theme that runs throughout some of my other layered abstract artworks. These pieces feature my personal collection of old paintings intertwined with modern pieces and photographs. They represent and narrate my long emotional and experimental journey as a human being. 

Dialogue with Päivi Lundvall, ecologist and expressive photographer has started over 35 years ago after we became friends. In 2019, we started a collaboration that aims to share the visual dialogue we have in the form of exhibitions online and in concrete exhibition venues.

Studies

2010–2012 Specialist Qualification
in Product Developement in Creative Industries
Polytechnic/Team Academy

2008–2009 Creada / Specialist Qualification
in Business Management in Creative Industries, Polytechnic /Team Academy

2001–2002  Specialist Qualification
in Audiovisual Communication
Jyväskylä Institute of Adult Education

1999 Entrepreneur Qualification
Jyväskylä Institute of Adult Education

1997–1999 Further Qualification
in Audiovisual Communication / Media Assistant, Jyväskylä Institute of Adult Education

Art Exhibitions

Solo and duo exhibitions

2021 Kymönkoski IVX Art Summer, Fragmented Deeper, together with Päivi Lundvall
2021 Kellarikalleria, Suonenjoki, Fragmented Deeper, together with Päivi Lundvall
2021 Liminganlahti, Nature Center, Fragmented Deeper, together with Päivi Lundvall

2020 Vesanto, 44 Squares in 11 Quadtychs
2019 Vesanto, Black Yellow
2019 Savonlinna, Cafe Saima, "Gardener's Dreams"
2018 Helsinki, Art Restaurant Wellamo "Organized Chaos"
2018 Espoo, Culture House,  "Zen" series
2018 Helsinki, Cafe Aalto, "Zen" series
2017 Iisalmi, Gallery Venny,  "Zen", new media art
2017 Pielavesi, Library Gallery, "Zen", new media art
2016 Äänekoski, Hoikkassali, "Gardener's Dreams", new media art
2015 Vesanto, Library, "Gardener's Dreams", new media art
2015 Keitele, Talligalleria, "Gardener's Dreams", new media art
2014 Helsinki, Jade Gallery, "tää on meijän juttu", with Leila Näivö, new media art
2014 Rautalampi, Gallery of Library, “Process”, mixed media collages
2013 Keitele, Barn Gallery, “Archaic Dreams”, new media art
2013 Rovaniemi, Bear’s Lodge Hotel, “Archaic Dreams”, new media art
2012 Tervo Library, “Archaic Dreams”, new media art
2012 Suonenjoki, Kellarikalleria,“Archaic Dreams”, new media art
2012 Vesanto Library, “Archaic Dreams”, new media art
2012 Kuhmoinen, Gallery of Library, “Archaic Dreams”, new media art
2011 Koli, Nature Centre Ukko, “Archaic Dreams”, new media art
2011 Hailuoto, Cafe Haiku, “Urban Dreams”, new media art
2011 Savonlinna, Cafe Saima, “Archaic Dreams”, with Leila Näivö, new media art
2009 Saarijärvi, Cafe Picasso, “Space Dreams”, new media art
2009 Savonlinna, Cafe Saima, “Space Dreams”, with Leila Näivö, new media art
2009 Jyväskylä, Kallioplanetaario, “Space Dreams”, new media art
2009 Turku, CafeArt, “Archaic Dreams”,  with Leila Näivö, new media art
2008 Äänekoski, Hoikkassali,  with Aija-Leena Lääperi, new media art
2008 Pieksämäki, Topi´s Gallery, “Archaic Dreams”, with Leila Näivö, new media art
2008 Jyväskylä, Freetime Fair, “Archaic Dreams”, new media art
2007 Jyväskylä, City Library, "Fire" with Mirja Peltola, new media art
2007 Turku, Osaava Nainen Fair, “Archaic Dreams”, new media art
2007 Jyväskylä, FinnGraf Fair, “Archaic Dreams”, new media art
2007 Kuopio, Kivigalleria, “Archaic Dreams”, with Aija-Leena Lääperi, new media art
2007 Petäjävesi, Lemettilä Farm, “Archaic Dreams”, with Aija-Leena Lääperi, new media art
2007 Saarijärvi, Town Hall “Archaic Dreams”, new media art
2007 Manamansalo, Art House Kassu Halonen, “Archaic Dreams”,  with Leila Näivö, new media art
2007 Jyväskylä, Tuulikaappigalleria, “Archaic Dreams”, new media art
2007 Kuopio, Café Burts, “Archaic Dreams”, with Leila Näivö, new media art
2006 Tampere, Café Valo, “Archaic Dreams”, with Leila Näivö, new media art
2006 Kuopio, Café Burts, “Archaic Dreams”, with Leila Näivö, new media art
2006 Viitasaari, Library Gallery, “Urban Dreams”, with Leila Näivö, new media art
2006 Jyväskylä, Gallery Mystic “Urban Dreams”, with Leila Näivö, new media art
2005 Vesanto, Library, "Departures", with Leila Näivö, new media art
2004 Kuopio, Gallery Kapriisi, "On the Road", with Leila Näivö, new media art
2001 Jyväskylä, City Library, new media art
1999 Jyväskylä, City Library, new media art
1994 Mikkeli, City Library Gallery, paintings
1994 Jyväskylä Municipality, paintings
1993 Vesanto, City Library, paintings
1990 Vesanto, Library, paintings
1990 Jyväskylä, City Library, paintings
1989 Jyväskylä, City Library, paintings
1987 Jyväskylä, City Library, paintings
1984 Vesanto, Library, paintings
1971 Vesanto, Library, paintings

Some group exhibitions
2019 Rome, Italy, "Somewhere Else"
2019 Rome, Italy, "Human Connections"
2018 Varenna, Italy, Villa Monastero, Dö
2019 Rome, Italy, RossoCinabro
2017 Berlin, Marzia Frozen, Artopia
2017 Florence, "Le Vie Art", Gallery Mentana, Urban Dreams, new media art
2013 St. Petersburg, Ratio Art Gallery, "Space in ancient and contemporary art",
with Norwegian and Russian artists, new media art
2011 Keuruu, Museum of Art, “Unreal world”, new media art
2004 Oulu, Gallery 5, Game of Light, new media art
2004 Jyväskylä, Galleria Mystic, Game of Light, new media art
2004 Hämeenlinna, Paperihuone, Game of Light, new media art
2003 Jyväskylä, Wanha Woimala, Game of Light,  new media art
2003 Kuopio, Game of Light, new media ar