I am an artist and illustrator Maria Leskinen, MA, living in Finland and in Brazil. I exhibit my art in Finland and abroad. I studied scientific illustration at the University of Brasília in 2022-2023. Two of my scientific illustrations are in the collection of University of Brasília. I brought the knowledge of scientific illustration to Finland when I publishing the first existing scientific illustration course in Finnish language in 2024. I received a grant for this project from The Association of Visual Communication Designers in Finland.
In 2022, we opened with my family an Art Gallery Lakeus in Southern Ostrobothnia in Kauhava, Finland. I work as a curator, producer and guide for the summer exhibitions.
In my art, I deal with changes in life and nature that I see through my own experiences and the cultures around me. I’m also thinking how we adapt to these changes and how we act in these situations. How inequality among people is particularly evident in natural disasters. Despite the challenging topics it is important for me maintain hope and empathy in my work.