Biography

Niina Lehtonen Braun (1975, Finland) studied fine arts at the Helsinki Academy of Fine Arts in Finland and the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts Paris, France. Since graduating in 2000, she has lived and worked in Berlin.

Her collages, which at first glance seem light and cheerful, trace ambivalent, often taboo subjects, with the role of women in the context of domestic violence, alcoholism and loneliness, as well as the fear of being overwhelmed as a mother, being central motifs in her works. In her own dual role as mother and artist, she repeatedly explores the effect of making art for the coexistence of a family.

Her works have been exhibited internationally in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Some of them are in renowned public collections, such as the Finnish National Gallery and the Helsinki Art Museum. Kerber Verlag has published three artist books, „Mother Said“ (2013), „These Foolish Things Remind Me of You“ (2016) and „Let Go Girl„ (2021) featuring her work.

Niina Lehtonen Braun is part of the Finnish performance group JOKAklubi. As a member of the Berlin project space HilbertRaum, she regularly organizes performances and exhibitions of contemporary art in Berlin since 2015.

She has received numerous prizes and grants for her artistic work. Most recently, she was awarded the five-year artist grant of the Arts Promotion Centre of Finland.