Hiltunen’s paintings are studies of the human condition, many taking their cue from the artist’s personal experiences and states of mind. The artist believes that a painting can capture personal experience without necessarily being a recognizable self-portrait. Although details from the artist’s real-life might leak into her paintings, each work constitutes its own intact reality. Many layers of meaning emerge during the painting process, and these meanings can be interpreted from a variety of perspectives and frameworks. One of the universally relatable aspects of her paintings is the state of arrested melancholy they portray. Her characters stare at us with blank faces devoid of expression, as if they were waiting for something to happen. With glazed eyes fixed on a distant horizon, they lounge in slumped postures in various settings, conveying a tangible sense of being stuck in a frozen state of in-betweenness.

Hiltunen graduated from the Turku Arts Academy in 2004 and the Academy of Fine Arts in 2007. She has held numerous solo exhibitions and has participated in group exhibitions both in Finland and abroad. Her work is represented in major Finnish collections including Helsinki’s Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma and the Saastamoinen Collection. The artist is based in Helsinki.