About Alexandra Koskinen

Hello, my name is Alexandra (Ale) and I'm an artist, recently graduated from ual with a bachelor's degree in fine art. Art has been my second nature for as long as I can remember, I have implemented the visual art culture into everything I know, and it has been a driving force my whole life, which is why I am actively trying to pursue a career in the field. I found a passion for art, in the expression of the elusive, of thoughts that cannot be expressed in speech. I fell in love with the way that artwork is different for each spectator, and acts as a visual moral guide. Art, when successful, exudes feelings, it makes people reflect upon their daily lives or abstract vague undefined ideas, it makes us reflect upon our relationship with nature, with each other, with ourselves. And when it is good, it is universal and accessible for everyone to enjoy. For me, above all, art is a catalyst for change, and the dissemination of this is worth investing and believing in. For example, while completing the IB program in Peru I had the chance to volunteer and lead a variety of social work that incorporated art as a catalyst for change. “Projecto Fugaz'' took students to some of the most dangerous and impoverished areas in the outskirts of the capital to bring art and design to children who had no exposure to art or any form of creative education. In addition one of the most meaningful experiences I had during my time in the Arts Honour Society was visiting Hogar De Madres in Villa Maria del Triunfo, a haven for young women and girls who had been victims of rape. Along with the mothers and their children we painted murals in every room of the safe house and taught them different skills and crafts. Furthermore, my time at the British Museum revealed an interest in pedagogical art practices that had been hidden amidst my contextual art and volunteer work. There we were trained to research within the Prints and Drawings collection of the museum to help develop our ability to teach from art collections through our personal practice. My passion to create was bolstered by an urge to bend the barriers of the visual art field, dipping into research and education. My personal strengths include a range of academic and practice based skills, from the ability to use a variety of media in my studio work, to analytical and theory based academic writing across different disciplines. Through my practice I seek to use the human form as a means through which to process the strangeness and absurdity of the collective human experience- taking a closer look at elements of morality, memory, loss of identity, feminism and the domestic space. I explore the edges of the shared consciousness and mental health through distortions and surreal transformations of my subjects in the hopes of achieving emotional resonance and above all encourage self reflection. I work primarily with oil paints, (as well as prints and performance videos) and rely heavily upon text based works as a foundation for my images. I believe the recollection, resurfacing and redesign of these narratives- both external and internal- help us make sense of where we are as a society, as individuals now. I think that ArtFinder provides a great platform for the display of my artwork, as well as a global audience that will enable me to share my work with a wider audience, and develop my professional practice. I think such a symbiotic relationship would be mutually beneficial and I am excited to join and collaborate with a community of independent artists such as myself.