Art Exhibitions
At Ravinteli Olkkari, art takes center stage in more ways than one. Our rotating art exhibitions bring the works of local artists into our space, transforming the restaurant into a living gallery. With each new exhibit, our walls tell a different story, inviting diners to immerse themselves in the creative spirit of Helsinki. Whether you’re enjoying a meal or simply dropping by for a drink, the ever-changing art installations provide a fresh and inspiring experience that complements our culinary offerings.
Marla Wargh
2025
Previous exhibitions
Minna Lindfors
2025
Minna Lindfors (born 1969), from Hanko.
In January 2025, I finally found the courage to pick up a brush and start painting. Since then, things have moved quickly — the exhibition at Ravinteli Olkkari is my third solo show this year.
My journey continues – Voimaannun (I Empower Myself) is the next step inward.
Through the paintings in this exhibition, I have been working my way toward the true strength within me — that state of being where I feel safe and at peace.
I am a visual artist who draws inspiration from the many shades of life – sensitivity, transformation, and the power to grow. My art is born from a longing for harmony and connection, and from the desire to express what often cannot be said in words.
I paint intuitively, building up layers and listening to the colors. Each work is a moment of inner dialogue – a journey toward understanding, acceptance, and calm. Through my art, I wish to share a story of growth, light, and strength, and I hope it resonates with those who experience it. I invite you to pause, breathe, and perhaps discover something of your own strength as well.
HASSI
2025
Hassi (born 1988) is a Moroccan artist based in Helsinki, and a member of the Helsinki International Artists’ Association (HIAA) and Suomen Kuvataidejärjestöjen Liitto (SKjL). His practice combines early formal art training in Morocco with a background in applied mathematics and years spent moving through many cultures, resulting in symbolic, introspective, and philosophically layered works. “For me, painting begins with the empty mind, a space of silence where ideas can arise without force. I see this state as essential, like an alchemical vessel where unformed thoughts, memories, and emotions can transform into something tangible. My work explores the metaphysical space between instinct and intellect, the seen and unseen. Figures and environments emerge that aren’t literal depictions of reality, but inner landscapes shaped by memory, dreams, and moments of tension. They are like emotional fossils: evidence of choices made, paths taken or refused, questions left unanswered. I want viewers to slow down with these works, to inhabit the space between clarity and uncertainty, and to explore what lies beneath the surface. Painting remains, for me, the purest form of freedom—a chance to bring back what has no shape yet and give it presence. It’s a joyful act of creation that lets me share something real, even if imperfect.”
Liisa Laine
2025
Liisa Laine (born 1976) is a visual artist living and working in Helsinki. Laine’s painting style is inspired by early Expressionism, particularly in how it combines colors and portrays subjective emotions rather than objective reality.
“For me, creating art is about colors and visual impressions. I use colors, shapes, and patterns to create a whole that delights me and hopefully others as well. My paintings are mostly still lifes that move somewhere between the representational and the abstract, often involving everyday objects. Many of my recent works are structured around a recurring pattern. In my paintings, playfulness and creativity meet orderliness, and the rules of perspective have been thrown out the window. I paint with acrylics and oils, and my painting process is guided by color and composition.”
Some of the Dinner Stories works were created during my studies and others after graduation. The starting points for these pieces have been the delicious imagery found in food magazines, travel memories, and old embroidery patterns.
Mari Cadaut
2025
Mari Cadaut is a Helsinki-based artist whose painting style is characterized by a picturesqueness, intuitive, and experiential approach with rich use of color. She primarily works with oil paints. The subjects of her work are inspired by her surroundings, small moments, and a sense of presence. A recurring theme in Cadaut’s work is the relationship between light and shadow, and a strong play of colors.
The Shared Moments exhibition presents works that depict encounters around the table. The paintings capture atmospheric scenes and vibrant celebrations, inviting the viewer to pause, observe, and drift into memories of meaningful moments in life. Cadaut explores this theme through expressive and vivid paintings that feature both literal and symbolic moments — including food, drink, and presence.
Ellen Andersin
2025
Ellen Andersin (b. 1999) studies to become a painter at the Free Art School (Vapaa Taidekoulu) in Helsinki. She primarily works with oil and explores traditional techniques and materials—preparing her own canvases is an essential part of the process.
The paintings in “Floating through / Leijuen läpi” have all been created over the past year. Most are coursework from her studies. Some are painted using live models and still lifes, while others take shape through intuition, memory, or subconscious imagery. Some move toward form and recognition, while others drift in the abstract. Yet throughout, there is a sense of exploration—a balance between structure and spontaneity, a continuous search.
“I am eternally grateful for art. It makes me see the world in detail, and allows me to fundamentally appreciate life. It gives me so much – a reason to never stand still for too long – to always explore, dare, trust. To seek, to grow. Like a constant companion in life; love.”
Joonas Räsänen
2024
Joonas Räsänen, I’m a third year student in Vapaa Taidekoulu, Helsinki. I have been painting since first lockdowns in 2020 and drawing long before that. Lately I have been very curious by trying out new materials and processes in painting and how much different techniques and approaches can a seemingly simple 2D canvas convey.
A vibrant culinary living room in Helsinki
Rasmus Smeds
2024
Rasmus is a woodworking student living in Helsinki. His artistic journey began with a childhood love for comics and texts, which later evolved into graffiti. Through graffiti, he developed a deep interest in typography, architecture, and elements that he now incorporates into his paintings and creations.
Arlia-Hamda Elmi
2024
As an Abstract Expressionist artist, I bring life to my canvas through bold strokes and vivid colors. Born in Somalia, East Africa. And I live in Helsinki with its blend of modernists and nature must provided a rich backdrop of my creative process. At the age 16 I emigrated to Finland alone. The Nordic landscape with their contrasts and serene stillness influenced my artistic vision. The fusion of fashion, design and art in my life reflects the interconnectedness of those realm -a harmonious blend of aestheticians and expression.
Since the age of four I have wielded my brush like a magic wand’ conjuring stories and emotions onto canvas. And 1995 the year I stepped into the world of Fine Art -marks the beginning of a lifelong dialogue between me and my creations. Each stroke whippers secrets, each color sing a song. My artistic journey continue to evolve weaving threads of passion, culture and discovery. As I paint I remember that my canvas in a mirror reflecting not only my experience but also the human experience a- universal language that transcends borders and speaks to the soul.
“We collect art and become curators of wonder. Each stroke of the brush whispers secrets across time, guiding us through realms of color and emotion. Addiction blooms like a rare orchid, as we pursue masterpieces that brush against our souls. We cherish every piece, hang them on our walls and create constellations of memory. Artifacts of our hearts surround us, their colors, textures, and echoes of infinity. In art’s embrace, we find meaning, richness, and the promise of passion.” -Arlia-Hamda Elmi
Kristiina Hayhurst
2024
Kristiina Hayhurst is a Helsinki-based artist blending paint and glass work. Each piece tells a unique story of color and light.
Based in the cultural hub of Helsinki, Finland, Kristiina’s journey as an artist has been shaped by her diverse experiences, including studying in the vibrant artistic landscape of London.
Drawing inspiration from her surroundings and inner musings, Kristiina’s work transcends traditional boundaries, seamlessly merging the fluidity of paint with the translucent beauty of glass. Each piece tells a unique story, inviting viewers to explore a realm where colors dance and light plays.
Robert Kosenius
2023
Robert Kosenius is an influential artist and musician based in Helsinki. In his art, Kosenius combines colors, themes, styles, and influences with exceptional freedom. He speaks of world heritage and believes that the key is to see oneself as part of a chain that stretches from cave paintings far into the future.
One of Kosenius’ trademarks has become his bold and open-minded exhibition installations, as well as his tendency to work directly in the exhibition spaces. According to Kosenius, this approach helps him paint and see his work from a different perspective. It’s not uncommon for him to change the exhibition layout multiple times or continue to rework or combine existing pieces while painting new ones.
Even during his current exhibition, several new works have been created—some layered over older pieces, others entirely new. Kosenius has held numerous exhibitions, and his works are part of many private collections, as well as in the collection of the Vantaa Art Museum (2020).
His works have also been used internationally as cover art in both music and literature, most recently for Venla Pystynen’s book, *”En voi lakata ajattelemasta kuolemaa” (WSOY 2022)*.
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