Ola Kolehmainen is a contemporary Finnish photographer, known for his large-scaled color photographs. Kolehmainen's artistic approach revolves around his notable exploration of light on architecture. Born in 1964 in Helsinki, Finland, he graduated from the University of Industrial Arts in 1999. Later, Ola Kolehmainen joined the Helsinki School of artists and started to develop a photographic process and aesthetic conceptually.
Kolehmainen's photographs are willing to be confusingly abstract and minimalist. The extensive use of light is a primordial aspect of his practice and the mastering of it creates impressive atmospheres such as in his series of sacred spaces. His interesting style aims to highlight the architectural details of materials and forms and make the viewer question the way the building is perceived. Ola Kolehmainen pushes both architecture and photography to a new dimension by his conceptual practice that resembles Color Field paintings created by composing multilayered light structures on photographic paper.
Today, Ola Kolehmainen lives and works in Berlin, Germany and is one of the most prominent artists of the 'Helsinki School'. His work is exhibited all around Europe such as his exhibitions; 'Ola Kolehmainen', HAM Tennis Palace, Helsinki (2018) and 'Reason and Intuition', Museum Pitzhanger Manor House and Gallery, London (2014). In 2015 he was made an honorary member of the Royal Institute of British Architects RIBA.
Education
1993
MA in Photography, University of Art and Design, Helsinki
1988
Education in journalism, University of Helsinki, Helsinki
Selected solo exhibitions
2023
'Vniversum et Mvsevm', Gallery BGE, Stavanger, Norway
2022
"MVSEVM", Galerie Ruzicska, Salzburg, Austria
2021
“Back to Square Black” Galerie Stefan Vogdt, Munich, Germany
"MVSEVM" works, Mirko Mayer Gallery, Cologne, Germany
2020
“Back to Square Black” Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland
2019
“Sacred Places” Mirko Mayer gallery, Cologne, Germany
“COELN” Cathedral of Light, Rheinishes Bildarchive as Guest in Kaune Contemporary, St. Joseph Chapel, Cologne, Germany
2018
“Sacred Spaces” BGE Contemporary Art Projects, Stavanger, Norway
Galerie der Moderne,Munich, Germany
2017
“Sacred Spaces” Helsinki Art Museum HAM, Finland
“Sketches of Spain” Studio Session, Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland
“Sinan Project” Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul, Tukrey
“It Never Entered My Mind” Gallery Brandstrup, Oslo, Norway
“Sketches of Spain” Galeria Senda, Barcelona, Spain
2015
Purdy Hicks Gallery, London, UK
“Sense of volume” Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland
2014
“Geometric Light -including color installation by Sauerbruch-Hutton Architects”
Haus am Waldsee Museum, Berlin, Germany
“Reason and Intuition” Museum Pitzhanger Manor Hause and Gallery, London, UK
2012
“The First Kyiv International Biennale of Contemporary Art” Arsenale 2012, Kiev, Ukraine
“Traditions” Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland
„Enlightenment“ Alvar Aalto Museum, Jyväskylä, Finnland
Gallerie Brandstrup, Oslo, Norway
2011
„Rohmaterial: Saubruch-Hutton“ Gallery TaiK, Berlin, Germany
2010
Deutsche Werkstätten, Dresden, Germany
„Alvar Aalto“ Galeria Senda, Barcelona, Spain
„A Building Is Not a Building“ KUNTSI, Museum of Modern Art, Vaasa, Finnland
„Colour Urban Structures“ Galerie Artfinder, Hamburg, Germany; Galerie Vanguardia, Bilbao, Spain; Galerie Brandstrup, Oslo, Norway
2009
„Ola Kolehmainen“ Galería Vanguardia, Bilbao, Spain
„Ola Kolehmainen“ The New Art Gallery Walsall, West Midlands, UK
„Ola Kolehmainen“ Galleri Brandstrup, Oslo, Finnland
„Ola Kolehmainen“ Kiasma - Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finnland
2008
„Ola Kolehmainen“ Galerie Koal, Berlin, Germany
„Ola Kolehmainen“ Galería SENDA, Barcelona, Spain
2007
„Ola Kolehmainen“ Sint-Lukasgalerie, Brüssels, Belgium
2006
„Ola Kolehmainen“ Artothèque de Caen, Caen, France
2005
„Ola Kolehmainen - Space is unknown“ Galerie Dominique Fiat, Paris, France
„Ola Kolemainen – Minimalism is my great love“ Artfinder Galerie x Mathias Güntner, Hamburg, Germany
2004
„Ola Kolehmainen - "Construction" „ Herrmann & Wagner, Berlin, Germany
1999
„Ola Kolehmainen“ i8 Gallery, Reykjavik, Island
Selected group exhibitions
2020
“Inspiration” Stockholm’s National Museum; Ateneum, Helsinki, Finland
2018
“Unboxing” Photograps. Arbeiten im Fotoarchiv, Kunstbibliothek, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2017
“Lichtblicke” Kunsthaus Potsdam, Germany
“Summer exhibition Art Goes Logomo” Makasiini Contemporary, Turku, Finland
“Dreamaholic” Weserburg, Museum für moderne Kunst, Bremen, Germany
2016
90 Jahre Rheinisches Bildarchiv: "Fotografien für Köln und die Welt" Rheinisches Bildarchiv, Cologne, Germany
“Berlin Raum Radar. New architecture photography” Neue West, Berlin, Germany
“SCRIPT” Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul, Turkey
“Freundschaftsspiel Istanbul” Freiburg -Museum für neue Kunst, Freiburg, Germany
“Art from Elsewhere”-International Contemporary Art from UK Galleries Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Bristol, UK
“Deck Voyage” Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul, Turkey
“Art from Elsewhere”-International Contemporary Art from UK Galleries Towner, Eastbourne, UK
“Lines of Passage” Municipality of Mytilene Art Gallery, Halim Bay Mansion Lesvos, Greece
2015
“Summer Exhibition” Gallery Artists, Purdy Hicks Gallery, London, UK
“Freude schöner Götter Funken” Galerie Abtart, Stuttgart, Germany
“The Alvar Aalto Library of Vyborg” Salon Dahlmann, Berlin, Germany
“Lichtbild und Datenbild. Spuren Konkreter Fotografie” Museum im Kulturspeicher Würzburg, Germany
“Desire -A Selection from the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection” Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul, Turkey
“I plunge into black holes and emerge intact” Gallery Taik Persons, Berlin, Germany
2014
“Verzweigt. Bäume in der zeitgenössischen Kunst” Altana, Germany
Kulturstiftung, Sinclair-Haus, Bad Homburg, Germany
Swedish Grace, Jacksons Design, Berlin, Germany
“Le vol en provence d’Helsinki” Le19 Centre Régional d’Art Contemporain, Montelébiard, France
“Art From Elsewhere” Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, UK
“Summer Group Show” Gallery Bryce Wolkowitz, New York, NY, USA
“Topological Constellation Art and Architecture I” DNA Galerie, Berlin, Germany
“Within / Beyond Borders” European Investment Bank & Banco de Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal
“Splendid Views” –Works From the Miettinen Collection, Salon Dahlmann, Berlin, Germany
“Encounters with Aalto” Jacksons Design, Berlin, Germany
“Spuren der Moderne” Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany
“Reason & Intuition: Alvar Aalto & Ola Kolehmainen in Soane” Pitzhanger Manor House & Gallery, London, UK
“Summer Group Show 2014” Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland
“Common Ground: Earth” Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul, Turkey
“mirror, mirror... ” Galerie Stefan Röpke, Cologne, Germany
2013
“Inside Outside Architecture” Nasjonalmuseet for Kunst, Oslo, Norway
“Now and Then -the first five countries of the ECB’s exhibition series” European Central Bank,Frankfurt, Germany
“If Walls Could Speak” Huize Frankendael, Amsterdam, Netherlands
“Stadt in Sicht -Werke aus der Sammlung Deutsche Bank” Museum Ostwall im Dortmunder U, Dortmund, Germany
“Metropolis: Reflections on the modern city” Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Waterhall, UK
2012
„Erste Kyiv International Biennale of Contemporary Art“ Arsenale 2012, Kiew, Ukrain
„Alles nur Fassade? Architektur als Abstraktion“ Galerie Beck & Eggeling, Düsseldorf Germany
„Helsinki Abstract“ Galerie Ruzischka, Salzburg, Austria
„Segment 1A“ Borusan Collection, Istanbul, Turky
2011
„Helsinki School“ Christophe Guye Galerie, Zürich (Schweiz), Purdy Hicks Gallery, London, UK
„Facade: Through a Glass Darkly“ National Glass Centre, University of Sunderland UK
„Verortung. Die Frage nach dem Raum in der zeitgenössischen Kunst“ Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany
2010
„Inaugural Exhibition“ Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
„17th Biennale of Sydney - The Beauty and the Distance“ Biennale of Sydney (NSW)
„Hovedutstillinger“ Rogaland Museum of Fine Arts, Stavanger, Norway
„Export - Import – Taidehalli“ Kunsthalle Helsinki, Helsinki, Finnland
2009
„Colour Urban Structures“ artfinder Galerie x Mathias Güntner, Hamburg, Germany
„15_Jahre Sammlung Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg - Gegen den Strich“ Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany
„Auf der Spitze des Eisbergs - Neue Fotografie aus Finnland“ Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany
2008
„En Privat 1“ Es Baluard, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
„The real Thing - New Acquisitions“ Malmö konstmuseum, Malmö, Sweden
„Nessuna Onda può Pettinare il Mare (No Wave can comb the Sea) - Fotografia Italiana“ Galleria Nicoletta Rusconi, Milan, Italy
2007
„Objeto de replica“ ARTIUM Centro-Museo Vasco de Arte Contemporáneo, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
„XIV. Rohkunstbau Drei Farben Weiss“ Rohkunstbau, Berlin, Germany
„Helsinki School“ Purdy Hicks Gallery, London, UK
„Boogie Woogie - Art and Jazz“ Taidehalli - Kunsthalle Helsinki, Helsinki, Finnland
„Photo Finnish - The Helsinki School“ Stenersenmuseet, Oslo, Finnland
„Ola Kolehmainen & Pertti Kekarainen“ Galleri Brandstrup, Oslo, Finnland
2006
„Ideal City – Invisible Cities“ Brandenburgischer Kunstverein Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
„Minimal quotation“ artfinder Galerie x Mathias Güntner, Hamburg, Germany
„Intersections - Between Past and Future „ Pori Taidemuseo / Pori Art Museum, Pori Finnland
„Presence“ Wäinö Aaltonen Museum, Turky, Finnland
„Opterracuna“ Robert Miller Gallery, New York City, USA
2005
„The Helsinki School - A New Approach“ Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany
2004
„Zeitgenössische finnische Fotografie“ Galerie Christian Roellin, St. Gallen, Switzerland
„Finnische Fotografie“ 14-1 Galerie, Stuttgart, Germany
2002
„New Pictures - Brotherus, Kella, Kolehmainen, Lajunen, Parantainen“ Tennis Palace, Helsinki, Finnland
„Northern Spell“ UTAC - University of Toronto Art Centre, Toronto, Canada
„Photography and Video“ Sara Hildén Art Museum, Tampere, Finnland
Publications
2009
„Ola Kolehmainen: A Building Is Not a Building“
David Elliott, Alistar Hicks, Arja Miller und Taru Tappola, Hatje Cantz
2007
„Ola Kolehmainen: Abstraction, Fraction, Recreation“ Martina Fuchs und Mark Gisbourne, Hatje Cantz
2004
„Ola Kolehmainen: Search for Mastery“ Klaus Honnef und Ferdinand Protzman Bielefeld, Kunstverein Bielefeld
1994
„OPUS 26“ gravure portfolio Qinterro
Collections
The National Museum of Photography Collection, Denmark
Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg Collection, Germany
Carl Gustav Ehrnrooth Collection, Finnland
Artek Collection, Helsinki, Finnland
The City of Madrid Collection, Spain
Societé Générale Collection, Paris, France
Colección Pilar Citoler, Madrid, Spain
Deutsche Bank, UK, Germany
DZ Bank, Germany
Fundación Centro Ordóñez-Falcón de Fotografía, ES
Peter W. Klein Collection, Germany
Malmö Art Museum, Sweden
Roland Berger Collection, Munich, Germany
European Investment Bank, Luxembourg
Lindell Collection, Helsinki, Finnland
Rafaela Seppälä Collection, Helsinki, Finnland
Vexi Salmi Collection, Helsinki, Finnland
Nokia Collection, Helsinki, Finnland
Ari Lahti Collection, Helsinki, Finnland
Heino Collection, Helsinki, Finnland
Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Rovaniemi, Finnland
Espoo Art Museum, Finnland
Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finnland
Saastamoinen Foundation, Espoo, Finnland
SOK Collection, Helsinki, Finnland
City of Muurame, Finnland
UPM-Kymmene Collection, Helsinki, Finnland
Helsinki City Art Museum, Finnland
Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, Finnland
Kouri Collection, New York, USA
Lars Swanljung Collection, Helsinki, Finnland
State Art Council, Stockholm, Schweden
State of Finland, Finnland
