Timo Nevalainen
Artist(s):Erkki Nurmela
Date:1998
Medium:pencil, watercolour
Dimensions:106 x 75, 106 x 36 cm
Timo Nevalainen (b. 1939) served as Professor of Pathological Anatomy at the University of Turku from 1981 to 2002. During his career, he also served as Research Associate at the Department of Pathological Anatomy and Electron Microscopy in 1966 and 1968–1971 and as Docent in 1971–1980.
The portrait of Nevalainen in the University’s art collection was made by Erkki Nurmela (b. 1948). Drawn in pencil, the portrait’s left-hand part depicts Nevalainen working with a microscope and the right-hand part his beloved instrument, the bassoon. Nevalainen has been a key figure in establishing bassoon quartet activity in Finland and is a founding member of the Finnish Double Reed Society. In the portrait, Nevalainen’s head is eclipsed by an orange circle, while a vivid yellow beam glides over the microscope in front of him. Brown and red blocks dominate the artwork’s narrower right-hand part. Nurmela studied at the Drawing School of Turku Art Society in 1970–1973. His principal media are drawing and watercolour painting.
Emma Vuolaslempi 2024 (updated 2025)
Ellonen, Leena, ed. Suomen professorit – Finlands professorer 1960–2007. Helsinki: Finnish Union of University Professors, 2008.
“Kunniajäsenet – Timo Nevalainen (s. 1939).” Finnish Double Reed Society, n.d. https://www.suomenoboejafagottiseura.net/tietoja-seurasta/kunniajasenet/494-timo-nevalainen (retrieved 11 December 2025).
“Nurmela, Erkki.” Kuvataiteilijat 2004, ed. Rauha Lönn, 586–587. Helsinki: Artists’ Association of Finland / Kustannus Oy Taide, 2004.