Elina Lajunen

Elina Lajunen (born 1980) is a performer, director, scriptwriter, musician and visual designer who graduated from the Art Academy of Turku in 2004, having specialized in puppet theatre. Her productions include Punahilkka (Little Red Riding Hood) for Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth in 2006, Onnellisin mies maailmassa (The Happiest Man in the World) for Kulttuuritalo’s Alppisali in 2005, and Puupoika (Wooden Boy) for Seurasaari open air museum, 2006–2008.

Elina went to Paris in 2006 to study at the Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq, and graduated from there in 2008.

Achieving a unified effect in her works is particularly important to Lajunen. Every component of the pieces – the music, the images and the movements – contributes to the creation and reinforcement of a singular idea.

During her time at the Saari Residence in the spring of 2009, Elina produced a solo work entitled Fly! You are an angel for heaven’s sake, which received its premiere at the Helsinki modern circus festival on 7 May 2009.

The guiding themes for the piece were jumping, flying, life and death. The piece was inspired by the Wim Wenders film Der Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire, 1987), and by the life and performances of circus artist Lillian Leitzel.

In the Helsinki area, her solo work was presented at the Stoa Cultural Centre in Itäkeskus and at the Forum Box gallery in Ruoholahti, where the presentations took place alongside artist Eeva-Liisa Isomaa’s exhibition Tyttö rannalla (The Girl on the Beach).