Iria Leino 1932-2022

Iria Leino, who began her career as a fashion designer and model, is a unique phenomenon in Finnish art. She left her hometown of Helsinki for Paris and later moved to the USA, settling in New York’s Soho. There, she developed a style initially inspired by American Color Field painting, which gradually evolved into a more meditative approach to painting. Her technique shifted from traditional brush painting to more experimental methods, using various spatulas and scrapers. In the 1970s, she transitioned to a method combining raw pigments with acrylic emulsion.

Iria Leino's works combine elements of Finnish nature with the American abstract painting tradition in a way that has no parallels in art history. Her later years were marked by a complete dedication to the spirituality of painting, meditation, and solitude, which meant that few contemporaries had the chance to see her works.