Eva Ryynänen

• Honorific Prefix — Professori • Birth Name — Eva Åsenbrygg • Born — 15 June 1915 • Birthplace — Vieremä, Grand Duchy of Finland • Died — 18 October 2001 • Place of death — Lieksa, Finland • Education — Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki • Known for — Wood sculpture

Ryynänen studied at the Academy of Fine Arts (now part of the University of the Arts Helsinki) from 1934 to 1939. Her debut solo exhibition was in 1940. Her breakthrough came in 1974, as a result of an exhibition at the Amos Anderson Art Museum in Helsinki, and a national tour following it. She created in total c. 500 works, of which approximately 50 are in collections outside Finland. She is especially known for her numerous wooden sculptures, reliefs and wood carvings housed in many Finnish churches. For example, she carved the pulpit for the Pielisensuu Church (1960). She also worked extensively with bronze and marble. • Illustration — The altar of Paateri church Her perhaps most famous creation is the Paateri church in North Karelia, which she built in 1989-1991 entirely of wood. She sculpted everything, including individually designed pews; the altar is an upturned root cluster of a spruce tree.