Hanneriina Moisseinen

Hanneriina Moisseinen, born in Joensuu, Finland in 1978, is an acclaimed graphic novel artist. After earning her BFA from the Tampere University of Applied Sciences in 2001, she pursued a Masters in Visual Culture and Contemporary Art at Aalto University, Helsinki, graduating in 2017. Moisseinen’s works are characterized by their evocative visuals and poignant narratives, often exploring themes of history, memory, and personal identity. She uses a dialogue-rich approach interspersed with colloquial phrases, delivering engaging narratives that combine the mundane with the profound. A member of the Union of the Finnish Writers and the Finnish Painter’s Union, as well as the Finnish Comics Professionals, Moisseinen is recognized for her unique style that effectively blends art and literature. Her work, »Setit ja partituurit« (2010, tr. Sets and Scores), earned her initial recognition, and was followed by »Isä« (2013; tr: father), that was a nominee for the Comic Finlandia Prize and the Jarkko Laine Literature Prize. The book tells the true story of a family man who disappears for no reason and is never found again. However, her magnum opus, »Kannas« (2016, tr. The Isthmus), amplified her fame, becoming a perennial feature in her solo exhibitions from Imatra Art Museum to Rauma Art Museum. The story, set against the backdrop of war-torn Karelia, resonates with a haunting sense of loss, masterfully embroidered with her distinctive art. Moisseinen used archival photographs and 50 hours of recordings of evacuees’ experiences. »I

wanted the photos to remind readers that although the story can be read as fiction, the bigger story behind this book actually happened. The people in the photographs are real.«

The book has been translated to five different languages, and Moisseinen has won several prizes for it, including the State Prize for Comic Art 2016, Beautiful book prize 2016, William

Thuring prize 2017, Akseli Gallen-Kallela art prize 2018, Prix Artémisia »Mémoire« 2019 and

Puupäähattu Comics Prize from the Finnish Comics Society in 2021. Her work has been widely exhibited, most recently in the exhibition »Touch« at the Espoo Modern Art Museum 2022-2023.

A multifaceted artist, Moisseinen also ventures into film, notably with her animation »The Drifter Who Loved Books« (2017), which won the Best Finnish Animation prize at the Scandinavian film festival in 2018. She continues to contribute to the artistic scene, participating in group exhibitions and working on forthcoming projects. Hanneriina Moisseinen currently lives and works in Helsinki, Finland.

Sen synty

mit Markku Nieminen
Arktinen banaani
Finland, 2005

Setit ja partituurit / Sets and Scores

Huuda Huuda
Finland, 2010

Isä / Father

Huuda Huuda
Finland, 2013

Kruunut putoavat

mit Sanna Karlström
Kutikuti
Finland, 2022

Kannas / The Isthmus

avant-verlag
Berlin, 2023
[Ü: Stefan Moster]