About/CV

Visual artist Sura Kangaspeska, with artist name Fonki, combines visual language of art nouveau with contemporary expression, influenced by architecture and microbiological imagery. Kangaspeska works full-time as a visual artist and tattoo artist at her studio in Tampere in Finland. Kangaspeska is a trained architect, and in her studies, she has specialized in unauthorized art and its effects in urban environments. 

Kangaspeska's architectural background is reflected in her art through structural thinking and a particular focus on urban environments where visual expression, nature, and public space intertwine.

Kangaspeska's works have been featured in exhibitions across Finland, both in galleries and in public street spaces as part of the urban environment. Her works have been displayed, in the largest concert and conference hall in the Nordic countries, Tampere-Talo, in exhibitions in the Finlayson area, and on multi-meter facades. Kangaspeska's works have also been exhibited as 2.5-meter large-format prints in the street space in Tampere city center and at the Flow Festival.

Kangaspeska's artistic work has been supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike) Ostrobothnia section, the Alfred Kordelin Foundation's Nokia Fund, and the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA). Kangaspeska has been awarded the "Young Emerging Artist" prize and a scholarship exhibition as part of a public art project carried out by Foodora.

Since 2023, Kangaspeska has been a member of the Pirkka-Häme Visual Artists association, and since 2024, she has served on the association's board. 

Art critic and gallerist Veikko Halmetoja describes Kangaspeska's works as follows:

"The representational essence of almost abstract works is revealed when viewed alternately at macro and micro levels. Kangaspeska masterfully combines the visual language of Art Nouveau with contemporary visual expression, influenced by photographs, science, and the digital image stream."

CV

Solo Exhibitions

6/2026 Somnium, Terveystalo Rautatienkatu, Tampere

3/2025 Cityjäkälät, Kankaanpään Galleria

11/2024 Mustaa Vettä, Terveystalo Pellavatehtaankatu, Tampere

8/2023 Herkkiä olentoja, Contemporary Art Center Hirvitalo, Tampere

1/2023 Verkko, Tunneligalleria, Tampere

3/2022 Ukraina, This Voice for Ukraina, Vapaan taiteen tila, Helsinki

6/2021 Hyperparasites, Galleria Viljamakasiini, Ruovesi

Group Exhibitions

6/2026 Myötätunto - Compassion, Galleria Saskia, Tampere

8/2025 Arkkitehti taiteilijana, Villa Väinölän galleria, Alajärvi

7/2025 Väärässä paikassa väärään aikaan, joint exhibition with Siina Siuvo, Nokian Tehdassaari, Nokia

6/2025 Pirkanmaan kuva, Galleria Viljamakasiini, Ruovesi

6/2024 Mutta valo ei väisty, Galleria Saskia, Tampere

5/2024 Eskapia, joint exhibition with Jasmin Yli-Huhtala, Tampere-Talo, Tampere

8/2023 Taiteiden yö, private corporate exhibition, Eteläesplanadi, Helsinki

7/2023 Juhlat, Haiharan taidekeskus, Tampere

5/2023 Maalauksia neljältä taiteilijalta, Tampereen yliopistollinen sairaala, Tampere

9/2022 Aikaikkuna, Tampere Architecture and Design Week, Finlayson Vooninki Hall, Tampere

7/2022 Mittausleiri, Art festival, Sulkava

9/2022 Tasoja, Kerroksia, Tampere Architecture and Design Week, Finlayson Vooninki Hall, Tampere

Public and Other Works

8/2026 Area artwork, Flow festival, Helsinki

8/2025 Painting series of three works for Tampere city center streetscape, Tampereen Sähkölaitos / Next Level Street art

4/2025 Rauhan viesti, Veteran's Day art illustration, City of Hämeenlinna

9/2021 Flashes, video and light installation, Väinö Linna Square, Tampere

8/2019 Kick Back video art, Flow festival / Pink Space world, Helsinki

Lectures and Memberships

3-/2024 Pirkka-Hämeen Kuvataiteilijat, Board Member

3-/2023 Pirkka-Hämeen Kuvataiteilijat, Member

3/2023 Lecture: “The creative entrepreneur's mistakes and how to overcome them with a bang”, Omaksi-valmennus

6/2023 Lecture: “The city of illegal art”, S-Creatives Festival, Savonlinna

8/2019 Lecture: “Cross-artistic approach”, HEO, Helsinki

Education

2021 Master of Science, Architecture, Tampere University

2018 Bachelor of Architecture, Tampere University of Technology

2015 Degree of Design, Adult education college HEO

Grants

5/2025 Alajärvi City, as part of a working group (4 people)

5/2025 TAIKE, Ostrobothnia Art Committee, as part of a working group (4 people)

4/2025 Alfred Kordelin Foundation, Jäte-kollektiivi (2 people)

1/2023 Foodora, Emerging young artist grant

9/2022 SAFA / Project Grant, as part of a working group

9/2022 SAFA / Project Grant, interactive art installation, as part of a working group

Selected Media Coverage

8/2026 Kulttuuriviesti, video reportage, "Visiting Sura Kangaspeska at Kulttuurivihkot"

3/2025 Kankaanpään sanomat, "In Sura Kangaspeska's exhibition, nature charmingly takes over the urban city environment."

7/2024 Aamulehti, Feature interview, cover story of section B, "Tampere's Sura Kangaspeska was at a crossroads three years ago – The woman who graduated as an architect chose an artist's career and has not regretted it."

5/2024 Ruovesi-lehti, "Sura Kangaspeska's art at Tampere Hall"

8/2023 Kulttuuritoimitus "Zones and nature experiences, a yellow library, and symptoms of war stress in the body"

2/2023 Kauppalehti, "Foodora begins to support Finnish art"

6/2022 Ruovesi-lehti, "Landscape of a bacterium or a planet?"

9/2021 Visiiri, "Street art and architecture combine in a master's thesis: illegal art strongly affects the experience of urban space"