Keynote speakers

Sanna Tirkkonen (PhD) is an Academy Research Fellow in Practical Philosophy at the University of Helsinki. Her research interests include phenomenology and phenomenological psychopathology, philosophy of psychiatry, and philosophy of emotions. In her work, she analyzes phenomena of contemporary society within their social and cultural contexts, most recently focusing on loneliness, meaningful relationships, and hostile emotions.

She currently leads a research project on the philosophy of loneliness funded by the Research Council of Finland. Previously, she spent 4.5 years as a visiting researcher in Germany at Heidelberg University Hospital, in the research unit for Phenomenological Psychopathology and Psychotherapy. She is also working on a book on the hospital's historical outsider art collection, the Prinzhorn Collection.

She enjoys collaborating with artists, writing about art, and dancing. In 2020, her article "Feelings of Loneliness in Tove Jansson's Novel Moominpappa at Sea" received the prestigious Tiedekynä Award from the Kone Foundation. In 2021, she received the Edward Richter Literary Prize from the Finnish Art Society.

°°°°°

Mimmu Rankanen

Images of the Invisible World

and the Art of Imagination

Dr. Professor Mimmu Rankanen is the program coordinator of the art therapy Master's specialization at Oslo Metropolitan University. She is the chair of Research Committee of European Federation of Art Therapy, a member representative of European Federation of Art Therapy, and a member of the International Art Therapy Neuroscience Collective.

She is a state authorized psychotherapist, psychotherapy educator, and supervisor. Her own background is grounded in art education and visual art before her education in art therapy and cognitive analytic psychotherapy. She has long experience of teaching art therapy at the graduate level in Aalto University in Finland and of developing and leading professional art therapy educations such as the Group art therapy program at Roiha Institute. She has also coordinated the art psychotherapy trainer and supervisor education, a program approved by the University of Jyväskylä.

She has presented her research at numerous international conferences, published multiple scientific articles and book chapters, and co-authored a book about principles of art therapy. Her doctoral research (2016) focused on how clients experience the process and impacts of art therapy, after which she conducted postdoctoral research at Aalto University and at the University of the Arts Helsinki. In addition to her work as a professor, she is practicing long term clinical art therapy with adults suffering from various mental health problems.

°°°°°