Hele Okkonen

Hele Okkonen (b. 1992, Finland) is a non-binary visual artist based in Helsinki, Finland.

Okkonen develops and researches a kinetic, movement-based rya practice, engaging with slow working methods, alternative approaches, and collaborative processes that involve multispecies collaboration. The kinetic rya practice consists of hand-woven ryas — a traditional Finnish textile form — whose movement is generated either through electronic systems or through weaving techniques and suspension solutions that amplify airflow as it interacts with the work.

Okkonen’s practice is situated within posthumanist, new materialist, and ecocritical theoretical frameworks that challenge anthropocentric conceptions of agency and materiality.

They hold a Bachelor of Culture and Arts in Fine Arts from Turku University of Applied Sciences. Their work has been exhibited in museum and gallery contexts across Finland, including Rauma Art Museum and Raisio Museum Harkko, and is held in the HUS Art Collection as well as in multiple private collections.

Website: https://heleokkonen.wordpress.com/