Index
00.
01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
Information
What Should Finland Know About Nation Branding?
Loom of Reality
Concept Store: Consumer Culture as a Medium
Owen
Jäbät & Tunteet
Sexmane
 © Aarni Kapanen 2025
00.Aarni Kapanen is a designer working at the intersection of strategic design and critical art. His practice focuses on how systems of ownership, identity, and value are constructed—often through shared cultural and visual norms. With a specialization in place and nation branding, Kapanen draws from his research-led thesis on Finland’s state brand to explore how nations communicate identity, purpose, and soft power through design. His work spans from speculative concepts to real-world strategy, often blending media art, visual communication, and narrative tools.

Before beginning any design project, it’s essential to ask: Why does this matter—and how will it stand the test of time?

Awards
  • COMBINE24: Remix the Archive
    Main Prize & Audience Favourite (with Ilmo Kapanen)
    Finnish National Gallery, 2024
  • Vuoden Huiput – Silver Prize
    Grafia, 2020


Exhibitions
  • Body–Text–Space
    Luonnos Gallery, Helsinki
    23 February – 24 March 2024
  • Combine24: Remix the Archive
    Finnish National Gallery
    20 September – 26 November 2024, Teollisuuskatu 9, Helsinki
    9 May – 21 June 2025, Dunkunsthalle, 64 Fulton St, New York City
  • Concept Store – Consumer Culture as a Medium
    Luonnos, Uudenmaankatu 13, Helsinki
    15 August – 14 September 2025
  • Aalto ARTS Grad Show
    Väre, Aalto University Campus, Espoo
    3 September – 6 October 2025



aarnivk@gmail.com
Instagram
05.Jäbät & Tunteet

2021
Art Direction


Jäbät & Tunteet is a social impact project that encourages men—especially young men—to talk openly about their feelings. Through vulnerability and shared experience, the project works to reshape cultural norms around masculinity in Finland.
    I served as art director and copywriter during the project’s first year, helping shape its voice, tone, and visual identity from the ground up. I collaborated closely with the team to define how Jäbät sounds and feels—crafting a brand language that speaks with warmth, confidence, and clarity.
    As the project moved into video production, I researched and recommended short-form content platforms to reach our target audience of 15–25-year-old men. This approach proved essential in building a strong, engaged community.


Creative Direction: Nosh A Lody
Art Direction: Aarni Kapanen
Photography: Linus Grönroos & Veikko Kähkönen