Maima Tani: Echoes of the Sea

Maima Tani (b.1986) brings to life imaginary creatures, fantasy mushrooms, and underwater worlds in her richly detailed drawings, crocheted pieces and silver jewellery. Her love of the sea was inspired by childhood nature documentaries, especially The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. Tani’s exuberant art takes an anarchistic stand against biodiversity loss.

Tani’s painstaking method is rigorous and time-consuming. She works from the home studio she shares in Helsinki with her artist sister Satu Tani. She is also active at the Autism Foundation’s Vallila Art Studio.

She has exhibited her work in many major exhibitions, including the Mänttä Art Festival (2024), the Heralbony Art Prize exhibition in Tokyo (2024) and the Art Brut Biennale in Hengelo, the Netherlands (2023).

Echoes of the Sea forms part of the Kettuki Association’s Artist of the Year Award for 2025. The association has been awarding the annual prize since 2004 in recognition of talented artists working outside the mainstream.

Kettuki’s main goal is equality in art. Kettuki network aims to improve opportunities for people in need of additional support to study and practice art in both professional and recreational contexts. Read more about Kettuki kettuki.fi/kettuki-association/

The exhibition is a collaboration with Maima Tani, Satu Tani, Kettuki, the Autism Foundation and the Lahti museum of visual arts Malva.

The Echoes from the sea exhibition is on display at the Cellar Gallery 1.4.–18.5.2025.