Richard Chivers - Green Gold

Finland’s forests are its ‘green gold’. From the economic, environmental, social and cultural points of view, forests are Finland’s most important natural feature. Finns live and holiday in the forests, and the forests provide huge economic benefits for Finland’s economy - including products that are recyclable and tackle climate change, having billions of users every day.

Heather Shuker - Löyly

The sauna is a sanctuary in Finland.

“The sauna is dear to me, almost sacred.
My father was born in one,
and his dying wish was to bathe
in a sauna one last time.

Your body sighs with relief when the first
ladleful of water hits the sizzling stove.
The experience is topped off with a dive
into a pure, clear lake.
What else does a human being need?”

By Olli Rehn

Raoul Ries - Comfort Zone

This series explores openness to strangers and trust as main factors in individuals’ happiness. I asked strangers in Helsinki if I could take their picture from various distances ranging from public and social spaces to personal and intimate spaces. As soon as a person indicated I was getting too close, I stopped photographing.

I consider each of these sessions as a generous gift of both time and trust.

Chloe Lelliott - Within the Rigid Exists Fluidity

The quiet beauty of the forests and lakes along with the extreme seasons are all soul-forming elements of Finnish life. A regard for utilitarianism is reflected in Finnish design, which embraces sustainability, functionality and a simple beauty. There is a harmony and respect between what is man-made and the natural world, with the organic forms of the architecture acting as a constant reminder of the beauty of nature.

Rich Cutler - Metsänpeitto

Finns and forests intertwine through history to the present. The forest has provided shelter and sustenance for millennia. But the forest can be perilous too. This was apparent during the Second World War, when the Finns fought Soviet soldiers among the pines and birches. Unsurprisingly, the forest is a frequent motif in Finnish mythology. Today, forests still cover most of the land and continue to shape Finnish culture with its hallmarks of egalitarianism and respect for nature. This project, Metsänpeitto, is an exploration of Finland through its forests and myths.

David Sterry - Moments of Joy 

In principle, we should be able to sense a mood of joy within all of our surroundings.

Helsinki is known as the ‘city of architecture’. The city is a loose, spacious, unstructured arrangement of buildings shaped by its relationship with the sea. The architecture (originally neo-classical and romantic and more latterly organic modernism) produces many unexpected ‘moments of joy’.

I have attempted to capture some of these moments in the city’s places, spaces and materials.  

Mitch Karunaratne - Blue Mind

This is what happens when you let your mind drift to find what it needs then allow it to stay and settle, finding a new rhythm, that moves slowly and gives you time to grow. This is what happens when you allow yourself to be absorbed, to notice, to find that profound quietness of mind.

This is what water can do.

Paul Walsh - Deambulations

Most of the world is heading in a direction where we experience our lives through technology, yet people in Finland retain a strong connection with the natural world, and understand the role it can play in an individual’s well-being. Walking is Finland's most popular form of exercise, and to explore the unique relationship that Finns have with nature, I went on a number of walks with people living in Finland. Each person chose the walk and led me along the way, whilst I made photographs to accompany our conversations.

Barry Falk - The Happiest Place on Earth

Finland was named the world’s happiest country by the United Nations in 2018, based on polls from 156 countries. A second survey found that Kauniainen’s 9,600 residents were the most satisfied in Finland, leading the local mayor, Christoffer Masar, to joke that theirs was ‘the happiest town on earth’. The Happiest Place on Earth is a photographic exploration of Kauniainen and its inhabitants.