Finnish street art’s unconventional champion talks about breaking norms, building bridges and giving walls a second life
Jouni Väätänen, better known as Mr. Purkutaide, has made a career out of filling Finland’s forgotten spaces with colour, political bite and unexpected community connections. In an interview with the Finnish magazine Voima, he reflects on his outsider beginnings, coming into the art world without formal training and how that allowed him to see the possibilities others didn’t. His projects, such as Purkutaide’s large-scale murals in demolished or temporary buildings, embrace the ephemeral nature of street art while opening space for broader conversations about urban change.
For Väätänen, street art isn’t just about visual spectacle but about “how people meet and talk to each other through walls.” He describes his role as part artist, part facilitator, connecting local communities with artists from across Finland and abroad. By repurposing condemned buildings as temporary canvases, Purkutaide transforms dead space into cultural events that belong to everyone, thus resisting the commodification of public art.
But working outside established institutions and in unusual formats comes with challenges, from navigating municipal regulations to securing funding for projects that are intentionally impermanent. He frames these constraints as creative catalysts. “When you have to work around rules, you end up inventing new ones,” he tells Voima.
The conversation also touches on the politics of public space: who gets to shape the visual narrative of a city, and how power and permission intersect in the art world. Väätänen is clear that for him, the most important thing is keeping the door open by bringing in first-time painters, encouraging experimentation and making sure the art reflects the community rather than just the artist’s ego.
Looking ahead, he sees potential in expanding Purkutaide’s collaborations with international street art networks, as well as exploring intersections with activism and emphasises that art in public space can’t be neutral, that even a flower is still a choice about the kind of world one wants to live in. His vision remains anchored in both the playful and the political, in murals that are as much about joy as they are about shifting perspectives.
Original article (“‘Kun tulee ulkopuolelta, niin asioihin suhtautuu toisin’ – Jouni Väätänen on Herra Purkutaide”) by Jari Tamminen was first published in Finnish on 24 June 2025.
It is available here.
Voima is a Finnish independent magazine focusing on culture, politics and activism. Voima is known for its critical, progressive reporting and for amplifying alternative voices in Finnish and global contexts.
Summary by ZN
