Mari Mäntynen's artistic work focuses on the question: How could we understand each other better? She addresses everyday tensions, contradictions and difficult societal problems through collaboration, absurdity and play. She challenges her audience to confront others and their own prejudices.

Mari Mäntynen's work encompasses photography, video and performance reflecting the complexity of human encounters and experiences. The works are participatory and Mäntynen also appears in them herself.

Mäntynen studies social situations and problems by organizing them, participating in them, photographing them, and finally watching them with the participants. For Mäntynen, the performative method of taking pictures is very important. At its deepest, her intention is to create friction and tension that somehow changes reality. In each of her works, she strives to challenge herself and always move on the edges of social norms and her comfort zone. 

Mari Mäntynen (b.1997) is a Finnish visual artist born and raised in Kerava’s prison area. She is working with photography, video and performance.

Mäntynen is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki. She studied a Bachelor of Photography degree at Lab University of Applied Sciences and also has studied in Germany at FH-Bielefeld. Mäntynen's first solo exhibition was on display in Turku, Finland, at the Peri Photography Center in 2022. Her work has been included in several group exhibitions, for example at the Amos Rex Art Museum. Mäntynen’s works are in the collections Museum of Visual Arts Malva, as well as in private collections.