Finland embassy brings 'I Was Born a Girl' global exhibition to Beijing

"I Was Born a Girl," a traveling portrait and poetry exhibition by Finnish artist and poet Minna Pietarinen, hosted by the Embassy of Finland, opened at Qihao Center on Sept. 15. Organized by curator Peppi Stünkel and partnered by UN Women Finland, the exhibition runs through Oct. 8 and pairs painted portraits with poems to foreground women's rights and resilience across cultures.

In 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women was held in Beijing, where 189 countries adopted the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Thirty years later, the Embassy of Finland in China brought this exhibition to Beijing. The exhibition uses biography, image and verse to translate human-rights themes into intimate encounters. Pietarinen's paintings — each paired with a short poem— profile women from diverse countries and social fields.

Since its premiere in Mexico City in 2023, the exhibition has traveled to Europe, Latin America, Africa and the United Nations Human Rights Council. It has now arrived in Beijing and will soon travel to Shanghai. In each country, artists will create portraits of prominent women, adding to the exhibition's local significance.

The poster for the exhibition "I Was Born a Girl," marking the Beijing leg of the global tour, stands in the lobby of Qihao Center, Sept. 26, 2025. [Photo by Liu Ziying/China.org.cn]