"THE FINNS" is a project about the youth in Finland that challenges the ideology of what’s a stereotypical Finn.
THE NATION
A lot Finns with foreign origins face discrimination due to not looking or acting like a “typical Finn”. Despite Finland being their home country their Finnishness is questioned. Today’s youth challenges these stereotypes and they show that you don’t have to have blue eyes and blonde hair to claim Finland as your home.
MARIMEKKO
I’ve always liked the visual work of Marimekko, a worldwide known finnish clothing brand that really inspired me to do this project. And that’s why I’ve chosen Marimekko to represent and symbolize the Finnish identity that is a part of us.
THE MESSAGE
The world is constantly changing and we have to adapt: yesterday’s reality isn’t today’s and today’s reality will not be tomorrow’s. And today’s reality is that Finnishness shouldn’t be defined by looks, culture, religion nor ethnicity. It’s a personal matter and it shouldn’t be defined by others. Finland is my home and I’m a proud Finn.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
“As a half Finn and half Senegalese, trilingual and born abroad, being part of the Finnish norm has always been a challenge for me.
As a child, my family moved to Finland from France. At first, I faced challenges with the Finnish language. When I learned Finnish and the language barrier was no longer there, I experienced discrimination towards my appearance; my hair, my skin color or anything else that made me physically “less” a Finn.
At the time I didn’t feel accepted by the Finnish society. I was a foreigner in my own country.
The muse of this project was my journey building my Finnish identity and making Finland finally feel like my home.
I’m beyond thankful for everyone that took part in my very first personal project as a budding photographer. This one will always be close to my heart”
yours truly,
Salamata Mboup, 2019
credits:assistant: Ilonamodels: Aurel, Ella, Melanie, Salma, Sandra and Sanna special thanks to Miltton Studios Thank you.