Bio & CV

Bio

Mirka Hokkanen was born in 1979 in Finland. Her favorite things growing up were found in the woods, and in her grandmother’s house which both continue to be a source of inspiration for her art.

Mirka moved to the U.S. in 1998 to attend Rockford College in Illinois (BFA 2002). She received both Master of Arts (2004) and Master of Fine Arts (2006) degrees in printmaking from University of Dallas, TX.

When not creating a menagerie in the studio she takes care of her live one- which consists of three wild kids, a cat, a dog and a husband. Her works continue to be exhibited both nationally and internationally and her first illustrated book, Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book, comes out in March 2019 with Pomegranate Kids. 

Mirka is represented by Essie White at Storm Literary Agency.

Short Artist Statement

The subject of my art has always been animals and nature. Living inside air-conditioned boxes and noses buried in our lives many of us don’t take time to venture out into nature and discover what it has to offer. I'll never be able to capture how beautiful and varied creation is around us, but I'm doing my best to make footnotes. These little studies translated from my head to paper in detailed engravings, relief cuts and sometimes drawings. I am fascinated by; the shapes created by animals as they live, the relationships we have with them and the undulating and swirling fur/feather patterns. Through printmaking I hope to turn the viewers senses on to the wonderful living things around us. 

CV

Education

2006 Master of Fine Arts, University of Dallas, Irving, TX
2004 Master of Arts, University of Dallas, Irving, TX
2002 Bachelor of Arts in Art, Rockford College, Rockford, IL

Selected grants and awards
2017 SCBWI Brazos Valley 2017 Conference Portfolio Showcase Winner, College Station, TX
2015 First Place in Printmaking Category, Brazos Valley Art League Juried Show, Arts Center of Brazos Valley, College Station, TX
2011 Finlandia Foundation National Grant, given for the Finnish Wallhanging Project
2010 City Purchase Award, Kent Summer Art Exhibit, Kent, WA
2005 Purchase Award, 19th Parkside National Print Exhibition, University of Wisconsin, Kenosha, WI
2004 MAPC Juried Exhibition Recognition Award, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
2001 The derrick Prize in Art, Rockford College, Rockford, IL

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2017 Kuukauden Taiteilija, Galleria G, Helsinki, Finland

2017 Prints and Illustrations, Gallery 979, Bryan TX

2015 Human. Nature, SEAD Gallery, Bryan, TX

2014 Prints by Mirka Hokkanen, Jorvi Hospital, Espoo, Finland 
2012 Prints by Mirka Hokkanen, Krab Jab Studio, Seattle, WA
2010 Inching Closer, La Familia Gallery, Seattle, WA
2010 Puskaradio, Galleria Gjutars, Vantaa, Finland
2009 Down the Grapevine, Friends Gallery, Lakewood Library, Lakewood, WA
2007 Kaikenkarvaiset, Tuusan Aitta, Nummela, Finland
2006 Maatilalla (At the Farm), Galleria Harmonia, Jyvaskylan Grafiikkakeskus, Jyvaskyla, Finland
2006 Manipulated, Continental Gallery, Dallas, TX

Selected Group exhibitions

2017 International Wood Engraving Invitational, Davidson Galleries, Seattle, WA

2017 View from the Art Village: 50-Year Retrospective, Beatrice M. Haggerty Gallery, University of Dallas, Irving, TX

2017 Wood Engravers Network Triennial Exhibition, traveling exhibition starting from Hamilton Wood type and Printing Museum, Two Rivers, WI

2017 Society Of Wood Engravers 80^th Annual Exhibition, traveling exhibition starting from North Wall Gallery, Oxford England

2015 10th Biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition 2015, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk, CT
2015 A Second Look: Interpretations of Slected Works from the Permanent Collection, Forsyth Galleries, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 
2015 Brazos Valley Art League Juried Show, Arts Center of Brazos Valley, College Station, TX 
2014 77th Annual Exhibition of the Society of Wood Engravers, traveling exhibition starting from Art Jericho, Oxford, UK
Wood Engravers Network Triennial Exhibition, traveling exhibition starting from Hamilton Wood type and Printing Museum, Two Rivers, WI
Masters of Print/Grafiikan Mestareita, Galleria Dix, Helsinki, Finland 
A Woodengravers Menagerie, Zygote Press, Cleveland OH
International Wood Engraving Invitational, Davison Galleries, Seattle, WA
2013 Animal/Elain, Haihara Cultural Arts Center, Tampere, Finland
2012 Uusi Lehti, Uutta Taidegrafiikkaa, Galleria G, Helsinki, Finland
2011 PS 5, Washington State Convention Center, South Galleria, Seattle, WA
2010 18th Annual Juried International Miniature Show, Parklane Gallery, Kirkland, WA
La Familia Gallery Group Show, Art Monaco 2010, Grimaldi Forum, Monaco
2009 Grafiikkaa Veistoksia, Galleria Ferin, Helsinki, Finland
National Small Works 2009, Washington Printmakers Gallery, NW Washington DC
2008 Faculty Exhibition, Armstrong Atlantic State University Gallery, Savannah, GA
Naestved International Mini Print Exhibition, Naestved Grafisk Vaerksted, Naestved, Denmark
Political and Poetical: 14th Tallinn Print Triennial, Kumu Art Museum, Tallin Art Hall, Tallinn, Estonia
2007 Miniprint Finland 2007 Triennial, Lahti Art Museum, Lahti, Finland
6th Lessedra World Art Print Annuall, Lessedra Gallery and Contemporary Art Projects, Sofia Bulgaria
2006 Draw_Drawing_2, The Foundry Gallery, London Biennale, London, UK
West Meets West, University of Art and Design Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
2005 Egos: Erik TOsten, Mirka Hokkanen, Sara Maxwell English, 500X Gallery, Dallas, TX
New Texas Talent XI, Craighead-Green Gallery, Dallas, TX
2004 Mid America Print Council Members Juried Exhibition, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, NE

Selected Public Collections
Jorvi Hospital, Espoo, Finland
City of Kent, Portable Works Collection, Kent, WA
Käpytikka RY, Helsinki, Finland
Lillie M. Kleven Print Collection, Bemidji State University, Bemidji, MN
Weisman Art MUseum, Minneapolis, MN
University of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland
Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
BVRH Therapeutic Riding Program, Poplar Grove, IL

Organizations
Wood Engravers Network
Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators
Suomen Taidegraafikot (Association of Finnish Printmakers)
Mid America Print Council
Southern Graphics Council International