Interview with Ingrid Ung

Ingrid Ung is a Finnish visual artist whose life and work move fluidly across borders, disciplines, and identities. Born in Malmö in 1973 and raised between cultures, with a Finnish mother and a Slovenian father, Ingrid has built an artistic practice that is as multifaceted as her personal journey. Trained at Fria Konstskolan and later at Chelsea College of Art and Design in London, she has worked with painting, drawing, video, sound, installation, and performance, gaining particular recognition for her video and performance art while never abandoning her roots as a painter. Her life has been shaped by constant movement and curiosity, having lived and worked in cities such as Stockholm, Berlin, Paris, Estonia, and even India. Ingrid approaches these geographical and emotional shifts not as obstacles, but as adventures that have continuously expanded her artistic vocabulary. This openness to experience is also reflected in her willingness to move between traditional and contemporary forms, allowing drawing and painting to coexist naturally with video and performance.

 

Her background as a painter remains visible even in her moving-image works, lending them a strong visual sensitivity. At the same time, she values the intimacy and romance of manual, craft-based practices, especially as she returns more intensively to drawing and painting. For Ingrid, artistic freedom lies precisely in refusing to limit herself to a single medium or definition. Based between Helsinki, Turku, Berlin, and Leipzig, Ingrid’s career reflects a life shaped by movement, curiosity, and openness to change. Her work often explores themes of identity and gender, drawing directly from lived experience, including her transition, which began in the early 2000s and became part of a powerful body of artistic reflection. Beyond labels and categories, Ingrid’s art is driven by a desire to inspire, to give hope, and to remain deeply authentic, a quality that resonates not only in her visual language but also in her thoughtful, warm, and reflective approach to life itself.

 

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Ingrid Ung, a talented and inspirational Finnish visual artist. Hello Ingrid!

Ingrid: Hello Monika! Thank you for inviting me and for your kind words! It truly means a lot to me.

Monika: To begin our conversation, would you share a few words about yourself?

Ingrid: Well, I could say that I am quite a happy person nowadays because I'm able to do what I really love and have passion for, and at the same time, perhaps give people a bit of inspiration and hope. It feels wonderful to see how creativity can connect us.

 

Courtesy of Ingrid Ung.

 

Monika: Looking at your journey, your background is remarkably multicultural and multilingual, born in Sweden, studying arts in London, and living in Berlin, Stockholm, Estonia, Paris, and India. How do you reflect on this path?

Ingrid: Yes, when I think about my life up until now... I have been through a lot of adventures and possibilities through my private life or through my work as an artist. Each place has shaped me in ways I’m still discovering. I have taken these options, like moving to my ex-boyfriend's country, as a journey and not as a hindrance, which of course has helped me a lot. These choices taught me resilience and openness.

Monika: You work across so many mediums, video, sound, photo, text, drawing, painting, installation, and performance. When you shift between them, do you find yourself drawn to one more than the others?

Ingrid: It's really hard to say Monika, but I figure that my background as a painter can be seen still in my photo and video work. I've done a lot of media art but for some time I have missed the more traditional craft, based on creative practice like drawing and painting, which is really nice and perhaps more romantic as well. Returning to these roots feels grounding in a very personal way.

Monika: In several of your pieces, you examine how identity and gender shift over time and through experience. How did these themes begin to take shape in your artistic practice?

Ingrid: I think that my gender and identity-based artworks came quite naturally since artists work with issues that are close to them. When I was going through all these different treatments, I had a lot of time working at home. For example, for many days my face was very swollen due to hair removal, which was also very painful, so I had to change my practice a bit and work more in a home setting through video, photo, drawing, and text because I couldn't go out like a swollen tomato. These limitations unexpectedly opened new creative directions for me.

 

A Song for the Trees and Forest (YouTube)

 

Monika: And looking ahead, what kinds of ideas or directions are shaping your current projects?

Ingrid: Yes, I'm happy to say that I'm working on new video films, photo works and I'm going more into drawing and painting again. It feels exciting to reconnect with techniques that have accompanied me since the beginning.
Monika: When people talk about labels in art, the idea of “transgender art” often comes up. From your perspective, does such a category exist, and how do you relate to the notion of being a transgender artist?

Ingrid: I'm not sure if there is any transgender art or being a transgender artist. I think art is beyond boxing or label making that we often use as human beings. Yes, of course, people tried to label me as a trans artist but I had, for example, a lot of shows and works in public collections and art museums before I decided to undergo my transition. For me, the work itself has always spoken louder than any category placed upon it.

The strange thing was also that people were like saying that I use my situation as an artist to get forward in the art world, which was quite bizarre! For me, it has always been a very important part to inspire people and give them hope. Nobody knew who I was before as an artist but my works were in museums, then I became more visible when I worked with gender issues, and of course, people noticed me more since I took my place in society. Visibility can be empowering, even when it comes with misunderstandings.

Monika: Speaking of visibility, do you follow or feel connected to any other transgender artists from the Scandinavian region?

Ingrid: I'm afraid I'm not aware of so many transgender artists though I think that it's coming. I believe more voices will emerge as society becomes increasingly open.

Courtesy of Ingrid Ung.

Monika: How do you see the current situation of transgender women in Finnish society, especially in everyday life?

Ingrid: Well, the official side is that there is no discrimination but I can't deny that there is a prejudice that I've encountered a lot in my everyday life, both in the art world and in health care, and for example if you want to find a flat/apartment. These experiences remind me how much work still needs to be done on a social level. I know that quite a lot of transgender people leave Finland and frankly that's no wonder since it is the everyday life that counts. Although I have to say that my friends have been in general very supportive. Their support has helped me stay grounded through difficult moments.

Monika: When you look back at your own journey, at what age did you transition, and how challenging was the process for you personally? 

Ingrid: I started really late I think when I reached my early 30ties. I wish I had started earlier now but everything has a purpose in life. It was quite difficult in the beginning due to the fact that I had a boyfriend and we had a house together. It's always in the beginning since you don't know how you will manage and if it is the right decision. When I took that step to live every day as a woman I've never ever looked back! So it's usually that first step that is the threshold. Looking back, I’m grateful that I found the courage to move forward despite the uncertainty.

Monika: During that period, were there any transgender role models who guided or inspired you along the way?

Ingrid: Yes, of course. I had transgender role models and I read and I searched a lot on the Internet and in books to understand and get information regarding the process of gender reassignment. Their stories helped me feel less alone in my own transition.

Monika: And today, are there any transgender women you particularly admire or feel connected to?

Ingrid: I think that Amanda Lear with all her sides has been an inspiration since she is always herself, no matter what. She is not very politically correct but she is authentic, which I admire and she didn't plan her career or moves … she always did what she loved. Her boldness has encouraged me to trust my own instincts more.

 

A Song For A T Girl (YouTube)

 

Monika: Looking back, what would you say was the most difficult part of coming out?

Ingrid: I have to say that it was probably hardest with my mother since I perhaps was the favorite child as an artist and quite sensitive. It has taken some time for my mother to digest the change. But she is happy now that she can see that I have quite a good life. Our relationship has grown stronger as she has seen me become more myself.
Monika: What do you think about transgender stories or characters that have been featured in Scandinavian films, newspapers, or books so far?

Ingrid: In the media, I think that journalists often don't research very much but only use populist phrases that sell better. It's rare that I get some intelligent questions. It's more like they would like to make a magazine interview with me in a raunchy dress.

Monika: The transgender cause is usually manifested together with the other LGBT communities. Being the last letter in this abbreviation, is the transgender community able to promote its own cause within the LGBT group?

Ingrid: I think we can drive our own cause but we are stronger together as minorities and I really don't like some trans people's homophobic stance, which is very absurd, since it is often, for example, in the gay community that I find loving friends and support.

Monika: Are you active in politics? Do you participate in any lobbying campaigns? Do you think transgender women can make a difference in politics?

Ingrid: I'm not active in a political party but I"m sometimes active on social media since I know a lot of people. I think transgender women can make a huge impact if we just step out and are more active in the formation of society. I have been more active in ecological/holistic groups since that is more my thing.

Courtesy of Ingrid Ung.

Monika: When it comes to your personal style, what draws you to certain clothes or designers, and how do you choose what feels right for you?

Ingrid: I love fashion and I am usually more attracted to Italian and Spanish fashion due to the fact that it's better to cut and the color scale suits me better than, for example, minimalistic Scandinavian fashion like H&M. I'm getting more comfortable with age so I only want very soft, good materials. Comfort and elegance have become equally important to me over the years.

Monika: And on a more personal note, how would you describe the role that love plays in your life today?

Ingrid: Love is important in life… I think that we need to start by learning to love ourselves as transgendered women and then reach out to others. I've been very lucky to have very loving friends and at some point, I will probably meet a guy and have a relationship. Love is the source and wheel for everything. It gives direction and meaning even in the most uncertain times.

Monika: Many transgender women eventually decide to share their journeys in memoirs. Has the idea of writing your own story ever felt appealing or necessary to you?

Ingrid: Yes, I've been thinking of writing a biography if it could help inspire and give people some hope. That's the greatest gift you can give to anyone. I would also have quite many amazing and comical stories to tell. I believe storytelling can be a powerful way to connect with others who feel alone.

Monika: For transgender girls who are struggling with gender dysphoria, what heartfelt advice would you offer them from your own experience?

Ingrid: My advice is to go to your own heart and follow it no matter what! Don't postpone your process due to family or what others might think or do it for some guy. Have your intention straight that you are doing it for yourself. When you do that ... you will find life much easier and the ironic thing is that you thereby can also give more to others and society when you are 100% you, irrespective of other people's opinions. Trusting yourself is the first step toward real freedom.

Monika: Ingrid, thank you for the interview!

Ingrid: Dear Monika, thank you so much for having me here, and that I could give perhaps some support and advice for my sisters. I truly appreciate the opportunity to share my journey.

All the photos: courtesy of Ingrid Ung.

© 2015 - Monika Kowalska

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