The new travelling exhibition brings together originals from the comic book Uhma on jumalasta (‘Defiance Comes from God’) by Tessa Astra, Aapo Kukko and Niko-Petteri Niva. Young artists inspired by the life and work of Vilho Lampi interpret the life and thoughts of the Liminka painter through comics. Uhma on jumalasta was published by Zum Teufel in November 2022.

Vilho Lampi (1898–1936), born in Oulu, was a painter from Liminka, Finland. After graduating from the drawing school of the Finnish Art Association in the spring of 1924, Vilho Lampi divided his life between his artistic work and his home farm, Matinlauri in Liminka. The travelling exhibition sheds light not only on these contradictions and on Lampi’s life in general, but also on the techniques and narrative dimensions of comics.

The Liminka School of Arts, founded in 1892 as the Liminka Folk School and also attended by Vilho Lampi, who lived nearby, was a base for Tessa Astra, Aapo Kukko and Niko-Petteri Niva to meet at different stages of their work. Defiance Comes from God was inspired by Paavo Rintala’s novel Jumala on kauneus (‘God is Beauty’) and other literary works about Vilho Lampi.

About the travelling exhibition

The exhibition, which is available to municipalities in Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu, can be booked for one month using the booking form. The exhibition pack includes 11 framed artworks, the comic album, exhibition text, list of works, poster, press photos and assembly instructions. The exhibition is also available to self-service libraries.

Click here to open the booking form.

Exhibition tour schedule:
July 2024: Sofian kammari, Utajärvi library
September 2024: Haapajärvi library
October 2024: Komppalinna library, Siikajoki
November 2024: Nivala library
December 2024: Pulkkila library
January 2025: Kestilä library
February 2025: Hailuoto library
March 2025: Puolanka library

You can check the exact exhibition dates at the exhibition site.

A 3D model of the extensive Vilho Lampi exhibition The Great Expanse, displayed on the second floor of the Oulu Art Museum from 13 November 2021 to 28 August 2022, will be published on the Oulu Art Museum’s website in connection with the touring exhibition.

About the artists

Tessa Astre (b. 1988) is a multidisciplinary artist and art teacher who lives and works in Liminka. Her main media are performance, drawing and scriptwriting. Astre teaches comics, performing arts and visual arts at the Liminka School of Arts.

Aapo Kukko (b. 1991) is an Oulu-based cartoonist, illustrator and writer. He has worked on dozens of comic books since 2008. Kukko is interested in stories with historical and social themes, especially people and events from recent Finnish history.

Niko-Petteri Niva (b. 1991) is a comic book artist who moved to Tampere via Oulu. Niva’s illustrations are inspired by the sometimes awkward humour of Northern Finland and the culture of edgy alternative music. Niva’s punk and queer-inspired comics have appeared in self-published collections, anthologies and albums since 2012.

The exhibition is curated by Tuija Visuri, Regional art researcher of the Oulu Art Museum.