A1 Journal article (refereed)
Religious and spiritual motifs in the art of the patients of Nikkilä Hospital (2021)

Kuuva, S. (2021). Religious and spiritual motifs in the art of the patients of Nikkilä Hospital. Approaching Religion, 11(1), 135-155. https://doi.org/10.30664/ar.98057

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Kuuva, Sari

Journal or series: Approaching Religion

eISSN: 1799-3121

Publication year: 2021

Publication date: 20/03/2021

Volume: 11

Issue number: 1

Pages range: 135-155

Publisher: Donner Institute for Research in Religious and Cultural History

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30664/ar.98057

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/74861

Abstract

This article focuses on religiousness and spirituality in the art works of psychiatric patients of Nikkilä Hospital, Finland. The pictures analysed here belong to a collection held at the Helsinki City Museum and they were made during the twentieth century. The theoretical frame of the study is a cultural study of mental health. The collection is approached as presenting a specific kind of imagery which has connections not only to the personal history and diagnoses of the patients; their cultural context and hospital environment is also taken into account. The religiousness and spirituality of the Nikkilä collection are also compared with outsider art and examples of art history internationally.

Keywords: fine arts; psychiatric patients; topics; motifs; religiousness; religious spirituality; esoterism; religious art; art history; outsider art

Free keywords: art of psychiatric patients; religiousness; spirituality; esotericism; Nikkilä hospital

Contributing organizations

Related projects

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2021

JUFO rating: 1