Mikko Rantanen

The visual artist Mikko Rantanen is a painter who skilfully utilises a variety of materials, whose
works explore layers, construction, contrasts and individual, seemingly
minor details. In his works, the infinite natural world
and the man-made environment, the ephemeral and the displayed, and repetition, engage in a dialogue. Rantanen often works
with tempera, which allows for a rapid and richly coloured surface texture. She also
creates installations from recycled materials; when viewed, these bring
to mind an anthill – a seemingly random yet carefully considered, practical and aesthetic
realisation.

Mikko Rantanen’s works could have come straight from the pages of some imaginary biology or geography
textbook: this could be a glimpse of an infinite DNA strand magnified under a microscope
, the systematic structure of mistletoe branches, or perhaps the principles
of road construction from ancient times to the present day. Looking at his works, one is struck by how industrious
nature is: it reproduces, divides and adapts to human activity, growing and expanding according to our
desires. In Rantanen’s paintings, even the seemingly insignificant can take on new
proportions – the leaves of a dandelion, rubbish carried by the wind, or, more abstractly, a particular colour. They
lead us to our own experiences of nature, to memories where the mind finds peace and the heartbeat slows.

Works by Mikko Rantanen are on display at the Keuruu Museum, the Old Church in Keuruu, the Keuruu
Local History Museum and the Lehtiniemi Lobby Gallery. (Eija Keskinen)

Mikko Rantanen
mikkokust@gmail.com
Instagram @mikkokust / www.kuvataiteilijamatrikkeli.fi

Printable artist card

This content has been translated using AI