In his graphic art, Ilkka Kärkkäinen combines old, disused printing press equipment, letterpress printing and polymer etching technology.

Ilkka’s working method is not only slow but also experimental; often the final work is created through test versions, trial and error. Both the printing machines and the equipment are all recycled; acquired over the years from home and abroad.

Ilkka’s work shows the background of a graphic designer, as well as the legacy of constructivism. Over the years, his expression has become simpler and the sizes of his artworks bigger. Kärkkäinen’s works quietly take a stand on the lived life and the surrounding world, leaving the interpretation to the viewers as non-presentative works.
Ilkka Kärkkäinen is one of Finland’s best-known and most awarded graphic designers.
He is also one of the founding members of the so_helsinki collective.