August 24, 2021

Equality and Justice through Art

What is love?
Source: Riina Tanskanen

Riina Tanskanen is a 22 years old young changemaker and one of the finalists of this year's award Young Changemaker of the Year, who has founded Tympeät tytöt (Grumpy Girls) to work towards a more equal society and raise awareness through art.

Riina
Using art to highlight gender issues and social structures, Tympeät tytöt is picturing girlhood in all its feminine beauty and ruggedness, bringing courage to end the silent acceptance of injustice.

Through her art, Riina gives voice to silent-shared experiences of girlhood, giving a hearing to many women of all ages who have experienced pain for years or even decades.

 

 

Riina primarily publishes Tympeät tytöt images on Instagram, which has allowed her ideas and art to spread widely geographically and in between different age groups. In addition to her Instagram account, Riina’s activism constantly looks for new ways to expand the warm revolutionary spirit of Tympeät tytöt to a larger audience.

 

Riina - Vihdoin saa sanoa

Currently, Riina is collaborating with the Finnish Public Broadcaster YLE and organizing art exhibitions while working on a comic book that will be published this summer. In her opinion, the most important art she creates is the one she makes through Tympeät tytöt when touching upon societal and political issues that affect us all.

Riina - Et oo varmaan kuullu Camus'ta

 

Even though her activities have expanded fast, Riina wishes to connect with a wide variety of actors, in particular women’s organizations and feminist artists:

“As strange as it is, I have managed to make structural criticism viral and hot - and it is so titillating that I want to take Tympeät tytöt to a higher level”, Riina Tanskanen - Young Changemaker and founder of Grumpy Girls

Tympeät tytöt is composed of text, visual arts and socio-philosophical influencing. Riina dreams of a future in which her art could lead an ever-widening crowd towards a social phenomenon, along with other actors working on girlhood.

 
Your smile is your logo
“I talk about a social phenomenon where women's rights are firstly human rights. Where feminine qualities are no less valuable than masculine ones. Where people are truly willing to question the established and quiet structures of our society that help oppress other groups of people. And I am not just talking about women, but all people.”

 

#Ashoka - the world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs and changemakers - envisions a world where everyone must feel capable and equipped to take action. That means uplifting young people’s voices and supporting their ideas for change. Discover our youth projects and resources.

Read more about Riina's work & vision in these two articles (in Finnish)

Human Rights & Equity