Today I want to bring your attention Kaiku, an illustrated story by Milla Koivisto that combines elements of traditional Finnish design and culture with a hint of fantasy and whimsical fairytale. The story centres around a Shaman, with different aspects (real and not real) of Finnish life entering from different angles in the form of various characters and activities.
What I liked most about the story was that one moment I would be learning about a typical Finnish tradition, and the next moment something amazing, unusual, and unreal would happen, causing a juxtaposition between reality and make-believe. At the back of the book there are a selection of great quality illustrations that depict some of the characters and scenarios that appear in the narrative.
I caught up with Milla to ask her a few questions about the inspiration behind Kaiku, as well as what it represents to her.
What inspired you to write Kaiku?
My first goal was to write a finished piece. I wanted to see if I could complete something like that. I was brought up on an island in the Finnish Archipelago. The inspiration for the story came from the nature and landscape I grew up surrounded with. That is what really created the story and its characters.
What do you hope it tells viewers about Finland?
One of the great things about Finland is, that we have a lot of space around us, and not so many people. It is easy to get close to nature. We also have four very distinctively different seasons. The temperature changes from -30 to +30 degrees Celsius throughout the year. This is something that really affects the landscape but also the character of people. I wanted to write about the people’s connection with nature and how much the seasons affect our moods and just our everyday life.
What was the process you went through when creating it?
I was working on this story for over a year and I spent a lot of time sitting alone by my desk. Some of the story was written in a cabin by a lake in Finland. It was very important for me to get the mood of the different seasons right. So what I did a lot was, in a way, travel in my head through the different seasons. I was thinking about the extreme cold of winter and how it feels to breath the cold air inside, or what the sea smell like on a hot summer day.
How do you hope the illustrations reflect the styles and traditions of Finland?
With the images I wanted to create a world that was rooted in reality, but had this otherworldly quality, just like the story of Kaiku, which is very much set in real life, but has fantasy elements in it. The story is not sett in a specific time, but is definitely a portrait of a simpler time, so I guess the images have a bit of an old fashioned feel to them as well. I thought it was interesting to draw for example the sauna image, since that is something very Finnish, but not really seen that much in art in general.
What does Kaiku mean to you? What does it represent?
For me it is a celebration of humans dialogue with nature. It is my way of showing my respect I guess. I was brought up close to nature and when you have that connection you realize the enormity of the natural world and the power, which it has. You realize the scale of things and how little you are, or maybe more accurately how much part of a big puzzle you are. I guess in a way this project was a way for me to get closer to home, back to my roots.
What are the next steps for Kaiku?
I am in the process of launching the book to the public. From the very beginning my goal has been to create a project that combines words, image, sound and movement. The book, which is now finished, is the first part of the project. I am currently on an island in the Finnish Archipelago working on the next step of Kaiku project.
Inquiries about the book can be sent to milla.anna.inkeri@gmail.com
Kaiku project can be followed here or here.
Do you like reading novels about the places you visit? Do you use them as a tool for learning more?
Finally… Musement, a site offering museum tickets, art tours, and cultural activities has kindly let Wanderarti readers get €5 off purchases up until the 31st July. Just use the code WANDERARTI and you can get discounted offers all over Europe!
