The couple active in the art world moved to Oulu in 1950. They collected especially the paintings of Werner Åström, who was born in Oulu. The collection also includes several works by painter Juhani Hakalahti, who was an art teacher and Airi Saarinen’s colleague at the Tuira Community School.
Veikko Vionoja: Oil Lamp (detail), 1965, oil on canvas, 80 x 100 cm. Photograph: Mika Friman.
Airi and Teuvo Saarinen Collection
The bequest of Airi and Teuvo Saarinen consisting of 51 artworks was received in 1988. The collection includes paintings, drawings and prints from the 1910s to the 1970s.