Official Commissioned Portrait, Helsinki Collection.

Official commissioned portrait from the Helsinki collection. The official portrait unveiling ceremony at Ressu Upper Secondary School will take place on November 18, 2025. After that, the portrait will become part of the school's history and will be transferred to the Helsinki City art collection.

The model is Ari Huovinen, the principal of Ressu Upper Secondary School. The first and only posing session was held in the winter of 2024 in the lobby of Ressu Upper Secondary School. The artwork was later completed in my studio according to the agreed schedule. For the actual artwork, I made two colored sketches with different compositions.

Together with the client, we chose the most suitable version. A positive feature that distinguishes my work from previous portraits of the school's principals is that my painting depicts both the person and the place where Ari has worked and contributed for a significant part of his career. The artwork utilizes Ressu Upper Secondary School's green-toned color scheme and the architectural elements of the building. The window offers a view of the Kalevala park monument, which is located in front of the school.

Although the portrait is official, it has a lively and warm atmosphere. The face is precisely drawn and is a very good likeness, which is emphasized by the free-form, painterly background.

Feedback on the portrait:

"Collaboration with artist Svetlana Ruoho was very smooth and natural. Communication was timely, and she adhered to deadlines. At various stages of working on the piece, she asked for comments and suggestions, which she implemented professionally. The artwork beautifully met our wishes and was also considered very successful in all respects by the model. A warm thank you for the collaboration." Regards from Ressu, Miria Hannola-Teitto, Assistant Principal, Lecturer in Chemistry