Olli Rönning

Olli Rönning (1931–2015) served as Professor of Dentistry at the University of Turku in 1986–1997. Before his professorship, Rönning worked as Assistant Professor of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics at the University of Helsinki in 1975–1976 and as a professor at the University of Oulu in 1976–1985. In his research, Rönning specialised in postnatal craniofacial development. In 1998, he received the international Craniofacial Biology Research Award.

In his portrait from 1998, Rönning is depicted sitting, with a kind yet observant look on his face. The background softly fades from pink on the right to light blue and violet on the left, creating a sense of space and light. The portrait was painted by contemporary artist Kaari Hilkka Könönen (b. 1952), who has painted several portraits in the University’s art collection, including that of Jaakko Nousiainen, Chancellor and Professor of Political Science (1998). Könönen studied at the Turku Drawing School and the University of Helsinki in the 1970s and has worked as a teacher and as Rector of the Turku Drawing School (later known as the Degree Programme in Fine Arts at the Turku University of Applied Sciences / Arts Academy).

Emma Vuolaslempi 2024