Natalia Tong-Ochoa (Peruvian, b. 1988) is a self-taught visual artist with a background in science. After moving to Turku in 2011, she earned a PhD in Biotechnology. However, severe health challenges caused by lupus—an autoimmune disease she was diagnosed with at fifteen—eventually forced her to stop working. Painting was one of the few things she could do during the most difficult periods of her illness, which led her to pursue art professionally. In 2019, she launched The Tumi Project to showcase her original and custom artworks. Most recently, she held the exhibition, “My Life in Emotions”, at the Turku City Library in early 2026.
At the festival, Tong-Ochoa presents a new version of her interactive art installation Finnish Sauna (2025), originally created for Family Day (Perheen Päivä), organized by Community Point Mustikka in Turku. The new immersive artwork, The Sauna of Hope, is a space where visitors can leave their hopes in words—impressions of how the world might become better. The installation is built from recycled materials and painted with acrylics.
Curators’ comments: ”Tong-Ochoa’s immersive Sauna installation is surprising and wonderfully unique. A memorable piece that we absolutely had to bring to the festival for visitors to experience!”