Henry Wuorila-Stenberg

Born in 1949 in Helsinki | Lives and works in Helsinki

For Henry Wuorila-Stenberg, painting is a form of meditation and a quest for peace. Meditation has played a very important role in the artist’s life for over forty years, and so it is only natural that his creative process flows from a similar all-encompassing, meditative state of emptying one’s mind. Wuorila-Stenberg’s process is totally intuitive: when he picks up the paintbrush, he has no idea where the journey will lead. The crucial thing is that he achieves a state of flow, and the stages and traces of the process must be visible on the canvas. 

Wuorila-Stenberg’s expressionistic style is influenced by the years he spent studying art in West Berlin during the 1970s. His expressionism finds a counterpart in his paintings' equally striking surrealist elements. Themes and events related to the artist’s own life are his primary source of inspiration, and his chosen colors are also linked to personal experiences. The artist in fact describes his relationship with color as an intensely psychological one. 

Henry Wuorila-Stenberg ranks among Finland’s most acclaimed painters. This year marks his 50th artist anniversary. Wuorila-Stenberg has received numerous accolades, including the Pro Finlandia medal in 2004 and the Finland Award in 1996. His work is represented in the collections of the Gothenburg Museum of Art, EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art, HAM Helsinki Art Museum, the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma. He has held solo exhibitions at venues including the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum, HAM Helsinki Art Museum, Hyvinkää Art Museum and Oulu Art Museum.