Kaati Puolakainen is a Russian artist with Finnish roots working across various media, including photography, video, performance, sculpture, textiles, and text. At the core of her artistic practice lies the exploration of female experience within a socio-cultural environment. In her works, Puolakainen analyzes the complex and contradictory aspects of female identity, examining them through the prism of personal experiences, observations, and traumas. Her projects encompass themes of gender stereotypes, motherhood, and the role of women in contemporary society, which is particularly relevant in the context of modern Russia. In addition to these themes, the artist investigates broader subjects such as identity, memory, and the influence of media on the formation of public consciousness. Her works respond to the political and cultural processes currently unfolding in Russian society. Often, Puolakainen employs the method of deconstructing established narratives, complementing it with irony as an effective tool for critical analysis of reality. Born in 1984 in the city of Monchegorsk, Murmansk region. Currently lives and works in St. Petersburg.
Education
Graduated from Kostroma State Agricultural Academy with a degree in Veterinary Medicine
2018-2021 — Docdocdoc School of Modern Photography, “Experiments in Modern Photography”, St. Petersburg
2020 — FotoDepartament, “Visual Room”, St. Petersburg
2022 — New Media Lab of the New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater in collaboration with ITMO University, Video Stadies, St. Petersburg
2023 — “Luch” Film Association, House of Radio, St. Petersburg
Solo Exhibitions
2021 — “Cosmic Woman”, Freud’s Dream Museum, St. Petersburg (curated by Tatiana Prorokova)
2025 — “Wind up me”, A-Ya Society, with the support of Rosphoto, St. Petersburg (curated by Ivan Kona)
Group Exhibitions
2020 — “Photography in the Light of the Pandemic”, online exhibition, ZGA Gallery (curated by Feodora Domozhilova-Kaplan)
2021 — “Constructor_Death”, Constructor Space (curated by Lisa Svetlova, Arina Deikina)
2022 — “Constructor_Death”, online exhibition (curated by Lisa Svetlova, Arina Deikina)
Special Mentions
2020 — Special mention from Blurring the Lines, “The Last Days on Earth”
Contemporary Art Fairs
2021 — Weseeitems, Moscow
Collective Projects
2022 — “I Myself”, GES-2, Moscow
2023 — “Luch” Film Association, St. Petersburg
Festivals and Film Screenings
2022 — Amateur Experimental Film Festival “Vnutri”, screenings held in St. Petersburg, Moscow (Russia), Frankfurt (Germany)
2023-2024 — “Luch” Film Association, screenings held in St. Petersburg and Moscow at various venues