The Maire Gullichsen Prize is an honour given to a contemporary artist. Maire Gullichsen (1907–1990) defended art’s profound, universally human core; the impact on viewers of art that is made intuitively and to the full. In that same spirit, the Maire Gullichsen Prize committee looks for values that exemplify something outside of the mainstream in contemporary art.

We want to honour artists who make art out of an inner necessity. We trust that their personal ethos and pleasure in making art will be communicated to viewers as something to be enjoyed regardless of changes in style ideals.

Maire Gullichsen’s 80th Anniversary Fund was founded in 1988 to commemorate the birthday of Maire Gullichsen (1907-1990), the prominent patron of the arts, and is administered by the Alvar Aalto Foundation.

Maire Gullichsen. Photo: Artek collection © Alvar Aalto Foundation.

1987

Pekka Pitkänen

1991

Tor Arne

1993
Marjatta Oja

1997

Mari Rantanen

2002

Nathalie Lahdenmäki

2005

Sandra Kantanen

2007

Vesa-Pekka Rannikko

2018

Inka Kivalo
Exhibition Inka Kivalo – Personae was on display at the Alvar Aalto Museum in 2020.

2020

Pekka Sassi

2022

Erik Creutziger

2024

Emilia Tanner