Art Prize
New interpretations of Finnish cultural heritage
The Kalevala Jewelry Cultural Foundation is organising an art competition with a main prize of €30,000. Through it, we invite participants to interpret Finnish cultural heritage, traditional craft and design openly and boldly, from the perspective of today.
The winner will be chosen by a jury of professionals in the field. The winning work and a selection of other entries will be shown in the competition’s final exhibition, opening on 29 April 2027 at Lokal Gallery in Helsinki.
Applications open on 11 November
The Art Prize is open to professionals in art, design and craft living in Finland, regardless of nationality. Finnish professionals in these fields living abroad are also welcome to apply. Applications are submitted through an online application form.
The application period closes on 7 February 2027 at 23:59 Finnish time. Please read the rules of entry carefully before submitting your application. Read the answers to our frequently asked questions.
The Jury
The winner will be selected by a jury of professionals from the field. The jury is chaired by Pauliina Latvala-Harvilahti, an expert in cultural heritage research. Its other members are gallerist Olli Piippo, researcher Leena Svinhufvud, artist Man Yau and Kirsi Paakkari, chair of the Kalevala Jewelry Cultural Foundation.
PATRON: SOFI OKSANEN
Sofi Oksanen is one of Finland’s best-known writers. Her work has been translated into more than 40 languages, and her honours include the Pro Finlandia Medal, the Swedish Academy Nordic Prize and France’s Prix Femina étranger.
“I’m glad to support a project that advances things that matter to me too: Finnish craft and our country’s cultural history. Without new perspectives, our culture withers. That’s why I hope to see as wide a range of artists as possible take part in the competition.” –Sofi Oksanen