Meteoriitti / Meteorit / Meteorite, 2023-24, tempera ja öljy kankaalle / tempera och olja på duk / tempera and oil on canvas, 51 x 70 cm, Turku Art Museum
Elina Merenmies
Erik Creutziger, Mielikuvitusmaisema (Imaginary Landscape), oil on canvas, 200 × 190 cm, 2025
Erik Creutziger
"My inner drive is so strong that I cannot imagine life without painting"
Video Recording: Free Art School Panel Discussion on the Ecology of Painting and the Tradition of Materials
The discussion is part of a Vapaa '26 Graduation Exhibition program and a satellite event of the Nauru Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, in which the school participated at the invitation of curator Khaled Ramadan. Read more about the pavilion PanelistsElina Merenmies, Principal and painterErno Enk...Letter to Erasmus+ – Travel Report from the Study Period in Stockholm
The Free Art School began its internationalization activities as an accredited Erasmus+ institution last summer. In May 2026, a mobility period in Stockholm was carried out for second-year students. This report was written by Malin Fagerström, a second-year student at the Free Art School. Helsinki, ...Open Art Courses Starting in Autumn: Watercolour Painting and Drawing
Would you like to create art under the guidance of professional artists? Welcome to enjoy art school teaching in courses that meet 10 times during the autumn semester. What the courses offer:Each course has a maximum of 16 participantsSuitable for both beginners and more experienced participantsThe ...The Free Art School Celebrated Its 90th Anniversary with Exhibitions and Events
The anniversary year was not merely a retrospective, but a series of exhibitions, publications and events highlighting the school’s central ideal: the freedom and autonomy of painting. The celebrations began in April 2025 and concluded a year later, in March 2026. The anniversary exhibition Vapaa 90...The Free Art School’s satellite programme as part of the Republic of Nauru Pavilion at the Venice Biennale
The central theme of the participation is ecological sustainability and the tradition of painting in relation to the environmental impact of contemporary art. Khaled Ramadan, curator of the Nauru Pavilion, will visit the school in April. The Venice Biennale is a major international contemporary art ...Taina Hakala – Moments, exhibition at Gallery Vaaga, 19 March–5 April
Taina Hakala's exhibition Momentsin Gallery Vaaga 19th March -5th April Opening on Wednesday 18th March 5-8 pm,welcome! Hakala is a third year student. Hakala's exhibition consists of works mostly from 2024-2026, aquarelles, oil paintings and couple of clay works. Hakala is interested in rhythms and...The Free Art School’s Graduation Exhibition Vapaa ’26 opens on 24 April.
The opening of the 2026 graduation exhibition of the Free Art School will take place at Puristamo, Cable Factory (Kaapelitehdas), on Friday 24 April 2026 from 5 to 8 pm. Thirteen painters will graduate from Finland’s only school dedicated to the teaching of painting. Mikko Haiko, Senja Jokiranta, Ra...Student Stories
Alumni Story: Tuomas and Eino Aitamurto
“The Free Art School holds a unique position within Finnish art education.”
Tuomas Aitamurto, Y2K Witches, 2025 47 × 47 cm Oil on canvas