12.3.–5.4.2026

From Stone-Deafs to Weeds – Painting Through the Sense of Touch and Expanding the Concept of Artistic Practice

In this group exhibition, four artists explore the ways art touches us. Some take a stand, others convey impressions beyond words. The exhibition is produced by the project Artist’s Magic Wand – Deaf and Disabled Artists as Equal Contributors.

Each artist in the exhibition has taken a different artist path. The watercolors and paintings of Sofia Karinen portray the artist’s immediate surroundings (landscapes, interiors) in vivid colors and in a compelling manner: each work contains its own inner movement. In Maarit Hedman’s acrylic paintings touch replaces sight. She creates her works primarily with her fingers using acrylic paints. Some of the artists make disability-political statements: in Mikko Salonen’s sculpture, the concept of the weed is used to question the position of disabled people in society, while in Aino Laiho’s works the character Kivikuuro, Stone-Deaf highlights the culture of sign language culture users through humor.

Sofia Karinen (b. 2000) studied at the Limingan taidekoulu, and her work will also be shown in spring 2026 at Taidemuseo Malva in Lahti.
Maarit Hedman (b. 1967) is a visually impaired artist who graduated with a Master of Arts (TAIK 1994); her works are dialogues between the inner and outer worlds.
Mikko Salonen (b. 1979) is a sculptor from Tampere specializing in bronze sculpture, and his works address questions of life and death.
Aino Laiho (b. 1993) is a glass and ceramic designer (HAMK, 2018) whose artistic profile emphasizes humorous, socially engaged works that are often three-dimensional, whether made of ceramic or eco-wool.

Thank you
The artists have developed their works with a grant awarded by the project Artist’s magic wand. This eighteen-month project, funded by the Koneen säätiö, promotes equal participation for deaf and disabled artists in the art field. The project is implemented by Culture association Eucrea Finland. “We dream of a world where works by disabled artists are increasingly seen in mainstream galleries and no disability prefixes are needed at all,” says project director Riikka Hänninen.