Born 11.10.1971 in Nurmijärvi, Finland
1996-00 University of Art and Design, Department of Photography, Master of Arts- studies, Helsinki, Finland
1998-99 London College of Printing, School of Media, London, England
1992-96 Art Institute of Imatra, Department of Fine Arts,Finland

My photographs are studies of body image, physical isolation, sexuality, insecurity and obscurity of life in general. I stage minimalistic photographs, in which I use people to create scenes or small stories. The positions, gestures and expressions of the models are the elements to tell the story. Every little detail becomes important and open to interpretation. The issues I deal with are often autobiographical. In that sense these portraits of different people can be seen as self-portraits. Exploring the human body from various perspectives is the main theme of my photographic work. To me the image of body presents an universal metaphor. In our bodies the life we live is truthfully documented. Going through physical changes, whether natural or self-inflicted, is an unavoidable part of being human. What is it that defines us? Is it who we feel we are or is it what we make ourselves look like? How do other people interpret these signals? How far can we go in changing our appearance or behaviour to match with what we feel inside?
Living my everyday life is the most important inspiration to my work. Sometimes just a quick passing image or a person can become crucially important and trigger something new. Keeping eyes open and noticing the banality of life and small things is fascinating. I often work in experimental ways. The starting point is usually photographic material, which can later evolve into an installation, a portfolio of photogravures or even a performance. I photograph mainly in the studio, where I am able to create and capture a specific mood carefully.
My artwork is presented in Finland´s major art museum collections and has been published in various international publications. I am currently working on my next exhibition project which will open in the summer of 2002 at the Finnish Museum of Photography in Helsinki.
TERO PUHA
PERSONAL STATEMENT

2001 Man Gang Showroom, installation/performance, The Academy Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
1999 Love and Lust Museum, installation, Kluuvi Gallery, Helsinki, Finland ( Jussi Sorvari )
1997 Shop of Basic Needs, installation, The Esplanade bandstand, Helsinki, Finland
1997 Bare Bones & Equals, Offsetlitographs and Photographs, Gallery Peri, Turku, Finland
1997 Epilog to Equals, Photogravures, Gallery Laterna Magica, Helsinki, Finland
1996 Equals, Photographs and Portfolio of Photogravures, Gallery Jangva, Helsinki, Finland

2002 The Young Portfolio, Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts, Kiyosato, Japan
2000 Houston Fotofest, photogravures, Houston, The United States
1999 The Scandinavian Photographic Auction, Photo Fair, Gothenburgh, Sweden
1999 The John Kobal Photographic Portrait Awards, National Portrait Gallery, London, England
1999 Ripe, The BA Photography Degree Show, London College of Printing, London, England
1998 ArtGenda Retro, Exhibition of Young Artists around the Baltic Sea, Stadtgalerie Kiel, Germany
1998-99 The Highlights in Nordic Photogravure, Copenhagen, Denmark and Oslo, Norway
1998 ArtGenda 98, International Biennal of Young Artists, Stockholm, Sverige
1997 The Highlights in Photogravure, Nordic Exhibition of Photogravures, Odense, Denmark
1997 MAP-Media.Art.Project, International Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland
1994 Young Finnish Artists in Hungary, Györ, Hungary

2001 The Nordic Postmodernism, Kiasma, Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki,
1999 Light, Exhibition of Finnish Photography, Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki
1998 The Nude and the Masked, Images of Woman in Finnish Art, Helsinki City Art Museum, Helsinki
1998 Rosolli, The 103rd Annual Exhibition of Finnish Artists, Kerava
1997 The 3rd Art Weeks of Mänttä, National Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Mänttä
1996 Comment, National Exhibition of Young Artists, Espoo
1995 The 48th Exhibition of Young Artists, Helsinki Art Hall
1995 Whore-Academy, Balder House, Helsinki
1993 First Kick, National Exhibition of Graphic Works, Gallery Mino, Lohja
1993-95 Portfolio of Graphic Works, Exhibition tour through the county of Kymi

Kiasma, Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland
Kioysato Museum of Photographic Arts, Kiyosato, Japan
Museet for Fotokunst, Odense, Denmark
Helsinki City Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, Finland
The State of Finland, Helsinki, Finland
Private collections in Great Britain, Sweden and Finland

2000- Lecturer in photography and digital imaging, University of Art and Design Helsinki, Finland
( Department of Industrial design )
2000- Lecturer in photography, South Carelia Polytechnic, Finland ( Department of Fine Arts )

2001 Arts Council of Finland/Photography committee, artist grant ( 6 months )
1999 The John Kobal Photographic Portrait Award, The Fujifilm Prize, London, England
1999 Ministry of Education, art grant
1999 Arts Council of Finland, project grant
1999 Niilo Helander Foundation, project grant
1998 City of Helsinki, art grant
1998, 2000 SETA Foundation, project grant
1998 Finnish Cultural Foundation, art grant
1997, 99 Helsinki City Culture Office, project grant
1997,98 University of Art and Design, project grants
1997 Paulo Foundation, project grant
1997,98,99 Arts Council of Finland, project grants

2000 PhotoNews(Germany)
2000 La Fotografia (Spain)
2000 Kunstmagasinet 1% - magazine (Denmark)
2000 Houston fotofest catalogue ( USA )
2000 Blue- magazine ( Australia )
1999 The John Kobal Photographic Portrait Awards- catalogue (England )
1999 British Journal of Photography (England )
1998,99 SkandinavianPhotographic Auction- catalogues ( Sweden )
1999,97 Musta taide (“Black art”, Finnish photographic magazine )
1999,98,97 Taide ( “Art”, the leading art magazine in Finland )
1999 Kuva-magazine (Contemporary imagery review, Finland )
1999,97 Z-magazine (Finland)
1999 Light, a look at Finnish photography- catalogue, Finnish Museum of Photography
1999 Kuvas-magazine (Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki )
1999,98,97 Helsingin Sanomat (the leading Finnish newspaper )
1998 Kieler Nachrichten ( German newspaper )
1998 Artgenda Retro- catalogue (Germany )
1998 The Nude and the Masked- catalogue, Helsinki City Art Museum, Finland
1997 Highlights in Nordic Photogravure- exhibition book ( Denmark )

Tero Puha

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