Japanese visual artist Momo Yoshino will create the fourth Oulu2026 mural in Toppila in August–September. The work is produced in collaboration with Tsurumi Public Art Project, an art initiative in the Tsurumi district of Yokohama, Japan.
The new artwork in Toppila will expand the Oulu2026 Cultural Programme’s series of murals, which have been created annually in the lead-up to the European Capital of Culture year in 2026. Scheduled for completion between August and September, the mural will be realized on a residential building at Satamatie 37.
An international jury of professionals selected Momo Yoshino as the artist for the 2025 project. Yoshino’s paintings employ optical illusions to activate the space between the artwork and the viewer. Through her artistic practice, she aims to expand the boundaries of painting and challenge its conventional forms of expression.
The jury consisted of Katariina Kemppainen, Curator at Oulu Art Museum, Inka Hyvönen, Producer at the Oulu Cultural Foundation, Yiorgos Slunga, Art Coordinator at Upeart, Mika Kuraya, Director of the Yokohama Museum of Art, Yuichi Shintani, Deputy Director for Creative City Planning, Culture, and Tourism in Yokohama City, Curator Tsutomu Okada, and Jaakko Nousiainen, Director of the Finnish Institute in Japan.
The work will be created in collaboration with Tsurumi Public Art Project, a community art initiative in the Tsurumi district of Yokohama, Japan.
“Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture projects offer opportunities for international collaboration. The cooperation with Tsurumi Public Art Project is based on an artist exchange programme, through which we can offer an artist living in Finland the opportunity to create a public artwork in Japan next year,” says Yiorgos Slunga, Art Coordinator at Upeart.
Artist develops the concept on-site, drawing inspiration from Oulu and its culture
Momo Yoshino (b. 1988, Tokyo) holds a Master’s degree in Oil-Painting from Tokyo University of the Arts. Based in Saitama, Japan, her works can be seen both in galleries and in public spaces.
Visiting Finland for the first time, Yoshino is excited about the opportunity to work in Oulu.
“I look forward to getting to know the city and its residents and experiencing the local culture. I’m especially delighted to be returning to mural work after taking a break for a few years following the birth of my child,” Yoshino shares.
European Capital of Culture mural to be created in Oulu city centre in 2026
The locations for the Oulu2026 murals are chosen through an annual public vote open to all city residents. Previous works have been created in Rajakylä, Tuira, and Myllyoja. In the European Capital of Culture year, the mural will be created in Oulu’s city centre, and the artist selection will focus on artists living in Finland.
Upon completion, the Oulu2026 murals will become part of the Oulu Art Museum collection.
Further information:
Upeart
+358 50 468 6521
press(at)upeart.com
