The Rudolf Koivu – A Magical Illustrator Exhibition, currently on display at Valamo Monastery's Cultural Center, will be updated in September.
Having achieved great popularity, the Exhibition has so far attracted 13,800 visitors, and the exhibition season is now halfway through.
The Exhibition's update is related to the original artworks' sensitivity to light. The works on display can only be exhibited for a limited time, which is why some of the works will be replaced with new ones in early September. At the same time, the Exhibition's content will be updated according to the season. The new works emphasize themes related to winter and Christmas alongside familiar fairy tale themes. The Exhibition will still retain a large collection of high-quality enlargements, which will be on display until the end of the Exhibition. The Library's book and magazine Exhibition will also remain unchanged.
Rudolf Koivu is especially known for his fairy tale illustrations, and the autumn collection will also include illustrations from his earlier, self-written fairy tales. This includes, for example, a symbolist-inspired and French-influenced illustration series for the fairy tale Sisar ja veli from 1929, as well as illustrations for the work Satu jättiläisistä, noidista ja auringontyttärestä (1935). Also included are several illustrations from Raul Roine's fairy tales and pictures from the children's favorite Joulupukki magazines.
The Exhibition's themes journey to historical settings as well as to the worlds of nature and imagination. Ajan ratas combines historical costumes and environments with the fairy tale world, while Sadepisaroiden seikkailut takes the viewer to an underwater world, among butterflies, and into summery garden atmospheres.
A Christmas atmosphere is especially visible in the illustrations of the Joulu-uni fairy tale and in the impressive cover illustrations of the Joulupukki magazines. In addition, there is on display, among other things, the atmospheric gnome-themed illustration for the poem Nukku Matti from 1919, which is among Rudolf Koivu's earliest illustrations for Joulupukki magazine. The illustrations for Maaseudun laskentokirja and Olavi Pesonen's Laulukirja, in turn, represent the daily life of children in the 1930s.
The Exhibition's works are on loan from the Amer Cultural Foundation's collections at the Tuusula Art Museum. The Exhibition was curated by cultural producer Liisa Heikkilä-Palo and Tuusula Art Museum's exhibition curator Päivi Ahdeoja-Määttä.
The Exhibition is open March 28 - January 15, 2027.
Admission fee 12 € / Adult. Children under 18 free.
The same ticket also includes admission to the Monastery Museum.
