ARTIST MARIKA MAIJALA
m.maijala(at)gmail.com
+358 44 5223476

Agent: CARIN BACHO / Koja Agency, carin.bacho(at)kojaagency.com

MARIKA MAIJALA (born 1974) works across writing, illustration, visual arts and animation. She currently works in the Artists’ House on Harakka Island, Helsinki, and studies painting at Free Art School Helsinki. Her artistic practice draws from play, experiment, trial and error in the spirit of DIY. Marika’s main creative sources are the realm of narration, that she used to love already as a child, as well as her relationships with other living and non-living creatures. Her versatile body of work includes picture books, art books, paintings, drawings, texts, animations, videos, installations and illustrations for public spaces.

Marika has received several awards and nominations for her work as children’s book illustrator, for example Finnish State Award for Illustration Art in 2020 and Rudolf Koivu award for the best children’s book illustration twice (2009 and 2019) . Her debut book as an children’s book author, Ruusun matka (2018), was a nominee for Nordic Council Children’s and Young People’s Literature Prize as well as presented in Bologna Illustrators’ Exhibition. Her stories and illustrations have been published worldwide. Currently Marika works with support of 3-year-grant for artistic work by Finnish Culture Foundation.

Awards and nominations
Candidate for ALMA, Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
State Award for Illustration Art, Arts Promotion Centre Finland 2020
Rudolf Koivu award 2019 (Best Finnish Children’s Book Illustration)
Nominee for The Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize 2019
Selected in the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition 2019
Silver Medal in The Best of Finnish Advertising and Design competition 2018
Candidate for Rudolf Koivu award 2017
Candidate for Runeberg Junior award 2017, twice
3-year-grant for artistic work, Arts Promotion Centre Finland 2016
Gold Medal in the Best of Finnish Advertising and Design competition 2015
Selected in The Bologna Illustrators Exhibition 2016
Selected on The White Ravens List 2015 together with Réka Király
Shortlisted in The AOI World Illustration Awards 2015 and 2016
Beautiful Book prize 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2015
Rudolf Koivu award 2009 (Best Finnish Children's Book Illustration)
Shortlisted in The Best of Finnish Advertising and Design competition in 2009, 2011, 2014
1st Prize in Mikkeli Illustration Triennial 2008
Kaiku prize of The Association of Finnish Illustrators 2009
Candidate for Finlandia Junior award 2008 and 2012
Diploma in Tallinn Illustrations Triennial 2013
2nd Prize Christmas Stamp Design competition by Posti Finland and The Association of Finnish Illustrators 2015

Bibliography as writer and illustrator
Marika Maijala: Taikurinkukka (Etana Editions 2022)
Marika Maijala: Suden hetki (Etana Editions 2020)
Marika Maijala: Ruusun matka - Rosie springer (Etana Editions - Förlaget 2018)
Réka Király – Marika Maijala: Topin nokinenäpäivä (WSOY 2014) – foreign rights sold to China
Réka Király – Marika Maijala: Lunta sataa, Lupo (WSOY 2012) – foreign rights sold to China

Bibliography as illustrator, selected titles
Juha Virta – Marika Maijala: Väriverstas (Etana Editions 2021)
Klara Persson – Marika Maijala: Kom hit då! (Rabén & Sjögren 2021)
Juha Virta – Marika Maijala: Joulu juksaa (Etana Editions 2019)
Essi Kummu – Marika Maijala: Häätanssit (Tammi 2019)
Juha Virta – Marika Maijala: Numerosoppa (Etana Editions 2017)
Aaron Rosen & Riley Watts: Where's Your Creativity? (Tate Publishing 2017)
Juha Virta – Marika Maijala: Kissa katoaa (Etana Editions 2017)
Tove Pierrou - Marika Maijala: Honungsmjölk för tre (Natur&Kultur 2016)
Miikka Pörsti: Kaikkien juhla (Tammi 2016)
Juha Virta – Marika Maijala: Piano karkaa (Etana Editions 2015) – foreign rights sold to United States, Sweden and South-Korea
Essi Kummu: Harjoituspusuja (Tammi 2015)
Hiroko Motai – Marika Maijala: Miljoona biljoona joulupukkia – Miljoner biljoner julgubbar (Schildts & Söderströms 2014) – foreign rights sold to Japan, South-Korea and Germany
Hannu Mäkelä: Olipa kerran ja monta kertaa (Paasilinna 2014)
Tuula Kallioniemi: Karoliina-series (Otava 2008-2014)
Hannu Mäkelä: Ääni joka etsi Laulua (Paasilinna 2013)
Marika Maijala – Juha Virta: Sylvi Kepposen kirjekaveri (Otava 2012) – foreign rights sold to France, China and Taiwan
Essi Kummu: Puhelias Elias (Tammi 2012)
Juha Virta – Marika Maijala: Sylvi Kepposen hukkaretki (Otava 2010) – foreign rights sold to China and France
P. L. Travers: Maija Poppanen (WSOY 2010)
Hannu Mäkelä: Vauvaunia (Tammi 2008) – foreign rights sold to France
Juha Virta – Marika Maijala: Sylvi Kepposen pitkä päivä (Otava 2008)

Education
MA, Cinema Studies, University of Turku
3-year-programme in Graphic Design, Pekka Halosen akatemia