Eyes as Big as Plates

How do we make sense of our surroundings? How have events and encounters throughout our lives impacted our relationship with the environment? In a time when humans are becoming less and less connected with nature, Norwegian-Finnish artist duo Riitta Ikonen and Karoline Hjorth’s ongoing collaboration, Eyes as Big as Plates, explores this question through humans, quite literally, in harmony with nature. 

The surreal photography series was initially conceived as a play on Nordic folklore characters and has grown into a project spanning over 150 uniquely crafted portraits shot across 17 countries and five continents, from the Nordic region to the South Pacific. 

The exhibition will feature over 30 portraits from the series interspersed throughout the Turnblad Mansion. Each portrait features a protagonist—often an individual Ikonen and Hjorth met organically in their travels—who is actively impacted by the changing environment. The duo has documented farmers, surfers, grandmas, citizen scientists, rewinding experts, wild boar hunters, mycologists, philosophers, and many more, in their living environments, capturing evolving relationships and boundaries between humans and nature. 

Each photograph comes together organically and is specific to each person. The duo shoots with an analog camera, which means the process can be slow and physically challenging and leaves time for Ikonen and Hjorth to connect with their subjects.

“We enter with open eyes. They dictate what happens in the shoot. It’s kind of like an adventure club.” — Riitta Ikonen 

By camouflaging humans in organic materials sourced from the surrounding environment, Ikonen and Hjorth create surreal, other-worldly photography that blends artistry and curiosity with anthropology, activism, and education to challenge conventional narratives on environmental stewardship and how humans relate to and interact with their surroundings across diverse cultures and landscapes. 

The exhibition will be on view at the American Swedish Institute from June 20, 2025 through October 25, 2026. Ikonen and Hjorth’s second book, Eyes as Big as Plates 2, will be available in the ASI Museum Store, and FIKA Café will be serving an inspired seasonal menu with dine-in seating available on ASI’s beautiful outdoor patio. 

Eyes as Big as Plates Digital Press Kit.

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