Reidar Särestöniemi

Reidar Särestöniemi (1925-05-14 Kittilä – 1981-05-27 Kittilä) was a Finnish painter from Finnish Lapland. He is considered one of the greatest Finland-Lappish artists in the entire history of Finland.

Särestöniemi was born as the youngest child of Alma and Matti Kaukonen at the Särestöniemi farm near the Ounasjoki river in Kittilä. The family later renamed itself after the farm. Reidar Särestöniemi studied art in Helsinki from 1947 to 1951. After this he studied for three years in the famous Repin Institute.

Särestöniemi has had many exhibitions all over the world, with the furthest being in Japan in 1980. The President of Finland awarded Särestöniemi the title of Professor of Arts in 1975.

The Särestöniemi museum was founded after the artist's death in 1985. The museum exhibits Särestöniemi's art in its original surroundings.

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