Saana Wang is a visual artist born in Helsinki, Finland. She works with photography, moving image and installation. Emerging from personal encounters, her work is an explorations of time, space, history and limits of perception. She has an MA degree in Photography from Aalto University and a BA in Arts, Gerrit Rietveld Academie Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She started exhibiting internationally in 2004.

Wang has had numerous solo-, and group exhibitions, to name a few: Houston Center for Photography, Usa (GE), Galerie La Ferronnerie, Paris(SE), The National Museum of Photography in Copenhagen(GE), the Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne (reGeneration2) (GE), the Museum of Finnish Photography, and the City of Helsinki Art Museum(GE).

Education

2013 MA of Arts, Aalto University School of Art and Design Helsinki, FI 
2010 Photo Global, School of Visual Arts New York, USA 
2004 BA of Arts, Gerrit Rietveld Academie Amsterdam, NL 
2000 BTEC Art&Design, Ravensbourne University London, UK

Solo Exhibitions

2023 Invisible Words, Photographic Centre Peri Turku, FI 
2023 Invisible Words, Galleria AMA Helsinki, FI  
2020 Transformation x 2, Riga Photography Beinnial Cēsis, LV 
2019 2156, Gallery Hippolyte Helsinki FI 
2017 Sing a song together with the blind men, Galerie La Ferronnerie Paris, FR 
2016 Scene (with Erica Nyholm), Photographic gallery Peri Turku, FI 
2015 Doma, Nordic Contemporary Festival in Sofia, BG 
2013 Hujialou, TR1, Kunsthalle Tampere, FI 
2012 Vitrio, Joy Wai Gallery, New York, USA 
2011 Forgotten Sceneries, Gallary TaiK Berlin, DE 
2010 Questa Stanza Non Ha Piu' Pareti (with Ari Marcopoulus), Viale Col di Lana Milan, IT 
2010 Hujialou, Photographic Gallery Hippolyte Helsinki, FI 

Group exhibitions (selected)  
2020 Backlight 2020 – Related Realities, Tampere FI 
2020 Winter Garden Photograph project, Houston Center for Photography, US 
2018 Does it feel familiar, The Finnish Museum of Photography, FI 
2014 reGeneration2, Museum of Fine Arts Yekaterinburg, RU 
2014 Photo Global 10 years, SVA New York, US 
2014 Collected North, Gallery X-ist, İstanbul, TR 
2014 reGeneration2, Landskrona fotofestival, SE 
2013 Summer School - The Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, FI 
2013 Olana Life, Light & Landscape, The National Library, New York US 
2012 Reflexions Masterclass at Rencontres d!Arles Photographie, FR 
2012 Letters of Olana, The National Library New York, US 
2011 Touching Dreams, The National Museum of Photography Copenhagen, DK 
2011 reGeneration2, Galerie Azzedine Alaïa Paris, FR 
2011 reGeneration2, Caochangdi PhotoSpring Festival Peking, CN 
2011 reGeneration2, Centro de las artes Monterrey, MX 
2011 reGeneration2, Rencontres Internationales de la Photo Fez, MA 
2011 North by New York, Scandinavia House, Nyc, US 
2010 reGeneration2, Aperture Foundation Nyc US 
2010 reGeneration2, Galleria Carla Sozzani, Milan IT 
2010 reGeneration2, Flash Forward Festival Toronto, CA 
2010 reGeneration2, Fotoweek DC, US 
2010 reGeneration2, Miami Dade College, US 
2010 The Helsinki School at Daegu Photo Biennale KR 
2010 reGeneration2, Pingyao International Photography festival, CN 
2010 reGeneration2, Michaelis Galleries, Cape Town, ZA 
2010 New Releases Photo Global, New York US 
2010 reGeneration2, Rencontres d!Arles, FR 
2010 reGenenration2, Musée de l!Elysée, Lausanne, CH 
2010 Helsinki School Photography and Video NOW, Helsinki City Art Museum, FI 
2009 ITS#8 International Talent Support, Trieste, IT 
2008 Paris Photo, The Helsinki School Gallery, FR 
2008 Art Forum Berlin, The Helsinki School Gallery, DE 
2008 Common responsibility exhibition, Sanomatalo Helsinki, FI  2005 Music for the Artist, Veemvloer, Amsterdam, NL 
2004 Stars, Young Artist Video Festival, Planet Art Enschede, NL

Awards, Nominations, Grants
2023 selection for portfolio review, The Finnish Museum of Photography, FI 
2022 selection for exhibition program 23,Valokuvakeskus Peri, Turku, FI 
2020 3rd Prize winner, Majaoja Foundation, Backlight, FI 
2019 Nomination, Grand Prix Images Vevey, CH 
2017 Finalist, Vevey Book Award, CH 
2016 Artist residency, Centre Photographique d’Ile-de-France, Paris, FR
2015 Artist residency, Centre Photographique d’Ile-de-France, Paris, FR 
2014 Plat(t)form, nomination at Fotomuseum Winterhur15, CH 
2011 Nominated, FOAM Paul Huf Award, NL  
2011 Nominated, Reflexions Masterclass, IT  
2009 Finnfoto ry 
2009 Winner ITS#8 International Photo Award, Trieste, IT 
2009 Young Artist Grant, Finnish Art Association 
2023 Finnish Cultural Foundation, one-year artist working grant  
2022 Finnish Cultural Foundation, working grant  
2020 Arts Council of Finland, project grant 
2019 Arts Promotion Centre Finland, exhibition grant  
2017 Avek, project grant  
2017 Frame Finland, travel grant 
2016 Avek / Media Arts, project grant 
2013 Arts Council of Finland, one-year artist working grant  
2011 Arts Council of Finland, travel grant  
2011 Arts Council of Finland, project grant  
2011 Finnish Cultural Foundation, project grant  
2009 Arts Council of Finland, exhibition grant 
2009 Alfred Kordelin Foundation, exhibition grant 
2009 Presidential Scholarship, SVA, USA, research & study grant 
2009 Finnish Cultural Foundation, Uusimaa Regional Fund, young artist grant
 2008 Patricia Seppälä Foundation, project grant

Publications, reviews, lectures, other (selected) 
2020 Keeper of the Heart/Picturing Roland Barthes’ unseen photograph, Schilt Publishing
2020 Related Realities, Backlight Exhibition catalogue 
2020 Exit magazine,no. 77, Exit La liberia 2020 
2019 Exhibition review 2156, Helsingin Sanomat 
2018 2156-Artist talk, Centre Photographique d’Ile-de-France, Paris 
2017 2156, Centre Photographique d’Ile-de-France, published by Neuflize OBC 
2016 Artist talk with Jonna kina and Azad Asifovich, Ambassade de Finlande, Paris 2016 Critic review, Turku Newspaper, September 17th, 2016 
2014 Artist talk, Landskrona Fotofestival, Sweden 
2014 Helsinki School - From the Past to the Future, Hatje Cantz 
2012 GB Times, Helsinki, July 2012 
2011 The New York Times, North By New York, August 19th, 2011 
2011 The Helsinki School - A Female View, Hatje Cantz 
2011 North by New York: New Nordic Art, Exhibition Catalogue, R. Storr / F. Pietropaolo  
2011 The New Yorker, May 23rd,
2011, critic’s notebook, North by New York 
2011 ModernPainters April, critic’s review Aoife Rosenmeyer, 
2011 Artist talk with curator Francesca Pietroapaolo, Scandinavian House, NY 
2011 Nyt, Helsingin Sanomat, Finland May 2011 
2011 Souvenirs From the Earth, tv 
2011 Photography-Now 1.11 Janyary 
2010 Daegu Photo Biennale catalogue 2010 – The Helsinki School 
2010 reGeneration2 : Tomorrow’s Photographers Today, Thames &Hudson 
2010 Valokuva, muisto - viesti - taide, Leena Saraste, Musta taide 
2010 Hufvudstadsbladet critic’s choise 31 July 2010 
2010 Helsingin Sanomat critic’s choise 6 March 2010 
2010 Finnish weekly news magazine Suomen Kuvalehti 
2010 “Questa stanza non ha più pareti” di Ari Marcopoulos e Saana Wang, GQ 
2009 The Helsinki School, Vol III, Young Photography by Taik, Hatje Cantz

Works in collections
Jenny and Antti Wihuri foundation, Finland  
Musée de l!Elysée collections, Lausanne, Switzerland  
The Collection of Saastamoinen Art Foundation, Finland 
Private Collections in Europe and USA

Memberships

Union of Artist Photographers, Finland
Av-Arkki RY