Erica Nyholm was born in 1982 in Finland. Nyholm has a BA in photography from the Turku Arts Academy, 2008, and a MA in photography from Aalto University – School of Arts, Design and Architecture, 2013.
In 2012 she was one of the young artists reported to Paris Photo by Christian Caujolle for the Young Talents section.
She use photography with a great sense of direction and pictorial composition, in the wake of the portraiture tradition that has its roots in the dawn of art history. She portrays herself or her family and friends, recreating powerful contemporary family portraits. Erica talks to us about social traditions and belonging to a group. In her stories, she concentrates a strong presence of characters with a (presumed) baggage of parental ties that every family carries with it, especially in the inter-generational relationship between women. In a suspended time, he shows us a private album that manages to recreate intimate atmospheres that we all know well and of which we become involuntary witnesses and actors thanks to the effect of the “estrangement effect”, a theatrical technique of direct involvement of the public, to make it more critical, defined by Bertold Brecht, breaking through what in jargon is called the fourth wall, the imaginary division between actors and spectators. But at the same time, in Erica Nyholm’s works there is a sense of the familiar, like when one arrives, expected, late for an appointment. Almost those of her own characters were waiting for us for the showdown. Each of us thus somehow becomes part of these somewhat disturbing stories, albeit in the highly controlled aesthetics, in the role of friends, children, relatives or parents. Judges or accomplices. Each with its own weight of memories, ties, affections and, sometimes, pains. Each with their own script to recite. It goes on stage.
In her mise-en-scene based practice she focuses on family relationships. Selected solo exhibitions: Blue Scene, Gallery Kluuvi, Helsinki, 2014 and A Room of One´s Own II, Gallery Hippolyte, Helsinki, 2012. Selected group exhibitions: Minän teatteri, Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova, Turku, 2017, Gestos Hacia uno Mismo, Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, Teneriffa, 2015 and Encontros da Imagem de Braga, Braga, 2014. Nyholm was selected as a winner of spanish photography prize called Pilar Citoler international Prize for Photography 2015.
Her current a solo show ongoes at the moment in Sala Vimcorsa, Cordoba, next solo show is in Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, summer 2018. She has worked in residency programs such as Cité des Arts Paris 2016 and 2013, and Pole Image 2013.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018 VIII Pilar Citoler International Prize for Contemporary Photography - solo exhibition in Sala Vimcorsa, Cordoba, ES
2018 17 LA QUARTA PARETE, Visionarea Art Space, Rome, IT
2015 Sininen näyttämö, Northern Photographic Centre, FI
2014 Sininen näyttämö, Kluuvin galleria, Helsinki, FI
2012 A Room of One´s Own II, Photographic Gallery Hippolyte, Helsinki, FI
2010 A Room of One´s Own, Photographic centre Peri, Turku, FI
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2017 Minän Teatteri, Ars Nova % Aboa Vetus, Turku, FI
2016 Scene with Saana Wang in Photographic centre Peri, Turku, FI
2016 VIII Pilar Citoler International Prize for Contemporary Photography – group show in Sala Vimcorsa, Cordoba, ES
2015 Nuoret 2015, Kunsthalle Helsinki, Helsinki, FI
2015 Gesture towards the self, TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, curated by Harri Pälviranta ES
2015 Kuvan täydeltä, Purnu, curated by Pessi Rautio, Purnu, FI
2014 Pole Nord, l`ésam Caen/Cherbourg-site de Caen, curated by Didier Mouchel, FR
2014 Hope & Faith, Encontros da Imagem Festival, PT
2014 Festival Circulation(s), Paris subway, Paris, FR
2014 Festival Circulation(s), Centquatre, Paris, FR
2014 London Art Fair, MC2Gallery, London, UK
2013 Summer School – Kesäkoulu, Lahti, FI
2013 Summer School – Kesäkoulu, Valokuvataiteen museo, Helsinki, FI
2013 Three (Talents) in a Boat, MC2 Gallery, Milano, IT
2013 Valon houkutus, Lahden kaupunginmuseo, Lahti, FI
2012 SFR Young Talent, Paris Photo 2012, Grand Palais, Paris, FR
2012 Next Design exhibition, Shanghai, CN
2012 Photomeetings Luxembourg, Galerie Beim Engel, Luxembourg, LU
2012 The Art of Basware, Sanomatalo, Helsinki
2012 Moa 2012, Year Show, Jätkäsaari, Helsink, FI
2011 Art Fair Suomi, Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki, FI
2010 Taiteilijat 2010, TR1 Taidehalli, Tampere, FI
2009 Nuoret 2009, Kunsthalle Helsinki, Helsinki, FI
2009 Post Photo 17th, Gallery Topohaus, Seoul, KR
2008 Secured Area, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, MY
2007 Future Image, Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin, IE
2007 Uutuus-Nyhet, Lahden Taidepanimo, Lahti, FI
2007 “There`s somethong wrong with the view”, Jukka Male museo, Helsinki, FI
2007 “There`s somethong wrong with the view” , Valokuvakeskus Peri, Turku, FI
2006 Piirustuskoulun Tähdet, Galleria Nefret, Turku, FI
2006 Neljä Elementtiä, B-Galleria, Turku, FI
2005 Auki, Photographic centre Peri, Turku, FI
RESIDENCIES AND FORUMS
2016 Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, FR
2015 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Arenys de Mar, ES
2013 Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, FR
2013 Pole image Haute-Normandie, Rouen, FR
2007 Asia-Europe Forum for Young Photographers, Cork, IE
GRANTS AND STIPENDS
2016 Arts Council of Finland
2016 Alfred kordelin Foundation
2016 Arts Council of Finland
2016 Frame
2015 The Young Artist Grant of Finnish Art Society
2015 Paulo Foundation
2015 Arts Council of Finland
2014 Arts Council of Finland
2014 Frame
2014 Konstsamfundet
2014 Arts Council of Finland
2013 Alfred kordelin Stitfelse
2013 Arts Council of Finland
2012 Stipend of Aalto University, School of Art and Design
2012 Finnfoto
2012 Frame
2012 Finnish Cultural Foundation, Uusimaa Regional Fund
2012 Arts Council of Finland
2011 Finnfoto ry
2011 Arts Council of Finland
2010 Majaoja Foundation
2010 Oskar Öflunds Stiftelse
2010 Arts Council of Finland
2009 Finnfoto ry
2008 Stipend of Arts Academy at Turku Polytechnic
WORKS IN COLLECTIONS
State of Finland
Jenny ja Antti Wihurin rahasto
The Finnish Museum of Photography
Private collections, Finland and France
Fairs
