Bruises might hurt but there is something magnificent to it: if you look at it properly the mix of blue, violet and yellow colours can be compared to images you've seen of galaxies far away - it just need more stars.

Finnish artist Riikka Hyvönen has started to get interested in bruises through collecting photographs of roller derby girls’ butts. Roller derby is not just a competative race, it’s a rather physical sport as well since it’s mainly about contact. Riikka called these bruises “kisses”, and created an exhibition out of it called "Roller Derby Kisses". With a kind of Pop Art view, the artist managed to turn these bruises into powerful images with wonderful and tight butts, mixing photography and painting to reinforce the colours.

Riikka has been inspired by this quite feminist and united spirit of this sport, she wanted to show the force of these players as well as their beauty.

"I painted the bums to capture momentary marks that are seen in a completely different light in the mainstream than inside the subculture of roller derby girls (…) Obviously, I am objectifying these women totally. But I am doing it exactly in the way they objectify themselves"

The exhibition “Roller Derby Kisses” runs until 20 August 2015 at the Finnish Institute in London.

Unit 1, 3 York Way, London N1C 4AE.