Curriculum Vitae

Jukka-Pekka Metsävainio

Astronomical photographer and visual artist

b. 1964, Finland

J-P Metsävainio is a Finnish astronomical photographer and visual artist who has photographed deep-sky objects from his own observatory for nearly 30 years. His practice combines long-exposure astronomical photography, scientific observation and visual art. He is internationally known for his large-scale Milky Way mosaics and stereoscopic 3D visualisations of astronomical objects.

Selected Major Projects and Publications

2026 — Beyond the Sky, an immersive audiovisual collaboration with the Oulu Symphony Orchestra, composer Lauri Porra and conductor Dalia Stasevska (forthcoming)

2008–2026 — Northern Milky Way, an 18-year mosaic spanning 145 degrees of sky and based on approximately 2,200 hours of exposure

2025 — Islands in Infinity: Galaxies 3-D, with Professor Derek Ward-Thompson and Sir Brian May

2025 — Space Cube Sculpture, Oulu Art Museum

2024 — Lux Aeterna – Eternal Light, Hämeenlinna Church

2021 — The Voices of Apollo 11, audiovisual work

2020 — Cosmic Clouds 3-D: Where Stars Are Born, with Sir Brian May and David J. Eicher

Selected Invited Lectures and Expert Roles

2026–2027 — Judge, RAStroPhoto international photography competition, Royal Astronomical Society

2026 — Invited speaker, European AstroFest, London; two lectures

2026 — Invited lecture, Royal Astronomical Society (forthcoming)

2019, 2013, 2011 — Invited speaker, Central European Deepsky Imaging Conference, Linz

2016, 2014, 2009 — Invited speaker, NEAIC/NEAF, New York

Selected Exhibitions and Presentations

2027 — Hyvinkää Art Museum, Hyvinkää, Finland (forthcoming)

2026–2028 — Astronomers Take Over, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

2026 — Vanhaa valoa, Mältinranta Art Centre, Tampere; Nocturne, Galleria G12, Helsinki

2025 — Vanhaa valoa, Varikkogalleria, Seinäjoki

2024 — Nocturne, AudioGalleria, Oulu

2023 — Joulugalleria, Galleria MABD, Oulu

2022 — First Art Exhibition of Taidetalo Kulttuuripankki, Oulu; Clear Skies, Galleria MABD, Oulu

2021 — Night Fever, The Platform Gallery, Helsinki

2020 — Per aspera ad astra, Galleria MABD, Oulu

2019 — Astronomical Nature Photographs, Galleria Kajaste, Helsinki; Astronomical Photography Exhibition, Q-Galleria, Tampere

2018 — Vanhaa valoa, Galleria MABD, Oulu

2016 — Mikkeli Centre of Photography, Mikkeli; 3D3, Finlayson Art Area, Tampere; Ars Electronica Center, Linz

2015 — Uusi Muoto, Oulu; Per Aspera ad Astra, Galleria Kajaste, Helsinki; Astronomical Photography Exhibition, Galleria Kajaste, Oulu

2014 — Joulun Tähdet, Oulu

2013 — Ars Electronica Center, Linz; AIC Photography Exhibition, Santa Clara, California; Photography Exhibition, Sardinia

2012 — Moving the Still, Wynwood, Miami; Oulu Art Museum; Dimensioita – Kuvia taiteen pimeältä puolelta, Liminka School of Art; exhibition with Esa Jormakka, Terveystalo/ODL, Oulu; Multimedia Works, Hotel Lasaretti, Oulu

Selected Public and Site-Specific Works

2025 — Koti universumissa (At Home in the Universe), commissioned by Oulu Art Museum

2016 — Central Cygnus, Luova Laboratorio, Oulu

2014 — Cirrus of Cygnus, photographic work on aluminium, over 10 × 3 metres, OSAO, Haukipudas

2014 — Path of Swans, photographic work on aluminium, approximately 3.6 × 1.7 metres, Oulu Swedish School

Awards and Recognition

2025 — NGC 1365 selected for The Best Photos of 2025 by Amateur Photographer

2008–2023 — Twenty images selected for NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day

2014 — Highly Commended, a third-place distinction in the Deep Space category, Astronomy Photographer of the Year, Royal Observatory Greenwich

2013 — One of BuzzFeed's Best Science Photos

2012 — Selected among the twenty best astronomical images of the year by astronomer Phil Plait

2009 — Stella Arcti Award, Ursa Astronomical Association

Scientific and Academic Work

2015 — Three-dimensional visualisation of the Veil Nebula referenced in Dubner and Giacani's Radio Emission from Supernova Remnants, published in The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review

2009–present — Narrowband Tone Mapping Method, a workflow developed and documented by Metsävainio for separating chrominance and luminance information in narrowband astronomical image processing

Astronomical images and 3D visualisations used in scientific publications, conference presentations, university-level teaching materials and technical publications

Selected Media Coverage

2026 — MTV3 Viiden jälkeen; Yle

2025 — Amateur Photographer; PetaPixel

2024 — PetaPixel; My Modern Met; Arto Nyberg, Yle

2022 — Suomen Kuvalehti

2021 — CNN; Forbes; Smithsonian Magazine; Newsweek; My Modern Met; EarthSky; PetaPixel; Yle; Tähdet ja avaruus; Space.com; ScienceAlert; Business Insider

2020 — MTV Uutiset; Yle; Ilta-Sanomat

Collections, Image Libraries and Public Sites

Smithsonian Institution, Royal Observatory Greenwich, National Geographic, NASA, Vatican Observatory, Science Photo Library, YellowKorner, Oulu Art Museum, Tampere Art Museum and the City of Tampere

Education and Professional Background

1984–1986 — Liminka School of Art

Architecture studies, University of Oulu

1992–present — Independent design practice

1999–present — Photography and visual art

Since 2008 — Full-time visual artist and photographer