Valon Taju

Ismo Hyvärinen (b. 1962, Kuusjärvi) is a visual artist who lives in Hattula and works in Hämeenlinna. He is known for his colourful, semi-abstract oil paintings, which explore time, timelessness, physicality and impermanence. For Hyvärinen, painting is a means of reflecting on the world around him and exploring philosophical questions. In his work, reality merges with the world of dreams through a bold use of colour, space and light.

Hyvärinen holds a master’s degree in fine arts from a university of applied sciences. He graduated in photography from the Lahti Institute of Design in 1991 and in painting from the Free Art School in 2001. He also pursued further studies in fine arts at the Lahti Institute of Fine Arts (2006–2008) and Saimaa University of Applied Sciences in Imatra (2009–2011).

Hyvärinen’s work has been exhibited widely in Finland and internationally, most recently in Stockholm in 2025. His works are held in several major public collections, including those of the Finnish State Art Commission, the Parliament of Finland, Oulu Museum of Art and Varkaus Art Museum.