Sini Maria Kunnas -

Sini Maria Kunnas was born in 1969 in Espoo, Finland. She began her schooling in Surrey, England at the age of five, lived in Texas in 1987, and continued her education in Finland from the age of seven onward. She is a Finnish citizen and EU national, fluent in both Finnish and English. She is married and currently resides in Rovaniemi, Finland, together with her husband Rauno, where they operate Arctic tourism and accommodation services.

Her personal interests include fitness, travel, blogging, and music. She is known for her intuitive empathy and a long-standing commitment to protecting others, and has offered booked sessions in this capacity since 2011.

Education and Early Career

Sini studied Radio Broadcasting at Laajasalon opisto in Finland in 1993 and worked as a radio broadcaster until 1998. Her first artistic debut took place in Helsinki at Gallery Artegrafica, marking the beginning of a professional arts career that has now spanned more than two decades.

Artistic Career

Sini has been a professional artist since 1998, with over 1,000 original works created across oil, acrylic, and watercolour. In 2007 she undertook classical painting studies at the Finnish Ilya Repin School in Kotka, affiliated with the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. She has been invited to exhibit her work internationally and works closely with gallerist April Zhang-Autio in New York.

Additional Training and Studies

In 2017 Sini completed security training in Helsinki under Mr. Markku Kumpulainen, specialising in emotional security and risk awareness in public environments, with a focus on non-violent communication and peacebuilding. Since 2023 she has been engaged in ongoing law studies through Rovala opisto and the University of Lapland Open University in Rovaniemi. She is also currently undertaking sustainability studies through the Aalto University Executive Program, begun in 2024, covering water cycle sustainability and sustainability law.

Public Roles and Advocacy

Sini is a public speaker on emotional security, visual culture, and art as a foundation for a good life. Since 2022 she has served as an oceans advocate and is the founder of the To the Oceans Project, which is now expanding globally at totheoceans.com. Her collaborations include Generation Blue, Atra Innovations, and Treebuddy. Earth. Annual World Ocean Day art events are held in New York, with the next edition scheduled for June 8, 2026, in collaboration with artist Lord Proverbs.

Values and Recognition

Sini is known for her anti-racism advocacy and her commitment to promoting equality across cultures through a skills-first philosophy. Her values are grounded in trust, truth, and a strong belief in one God for all.

Memberships and Positions

Sini has been a member of the British and Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce Helsinki since 2012, where she holds the title of Artist of the House. Since 2023 she has served as a Board Member of the Rovaniemi Art Museum Friends Association. She holds no political candidacy positions.