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Aria Swan


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Artist Type
Professional

About

Aria is a Finnish-born, Australian-based impressionist artist whose work explores the movement, rhythm, and colour of the natural world. Practising since the mid-1990s, she holds both a Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, and has exhibited extensively across Australia and Finland, including twenty-two solo exhibitions.
Her distinctive underwater series captures abstracted seascapes where schools of fish swirl and drift in fluid harmony. Using a signature technique of single-colour brushstrokes—each representing an individual fish—Aria creates richly layered compositions with a striking sense of depth and subtle three-dimensionality. Vibrant blues and greens, punctuated by flashes of red, yellow, and magenta, bring her paintings to life with energy, texture, and luminosity.
Deeply inspired by her connection to the ocean, Aria’s work invites viewers into immersive environments that celebrate both movement and stillness. Her recent recognition of parallels between her palette and traditional Finnish textile art has further enriched her exploration of colour, linking her contemporary practice with her cultural heritage.

Arja Välimäki holds a BFA and MFA from UNSW Art & Design Australia and has exhibited widely in both Australia and Finland. She has won numerous awards and grants and has been a finalist in prizes such as the Wynne Prize at AGNSW, Fisher’s Ghost Art Award and the Meroogal Women’s Art Award. Välimäki’s works are held in private and public collections worldwide including collections of the Consulate General of Finland, Hong Kong; Embassy of Finland, Canberra; Juminkeko’s Cultural Centre, Finland; and Wollongong Art Gallery. Arja Välimäki’s works are held in public and private collections in Australia, Finland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany, Spain, USA, Canada and UK.

Flinders NSW 2529
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Featured Works

Moonlight Romance XV, Synthetic polymers on canvas, 57x76cm

2019

Strawberry Dottyback II, Synthetic polymers on canvas, 66x92cm

2019

Shoaling Mahi-mahi, Synthetic polymers on canvas, 153x112cm

2019