Cultural heritage Kalevala; Rraija Uosikkinen and her illustrations

Abstract

Throughout history, illustration has been a visual language and communication tool in different countries and cultures of the world. The illustration technique has played an important role in the transmission of literary texts, heroic stories, and mythological transmissions. This article discusses the contribution of artist Raija Uosikkinen as a designer and illustrator for Arabia, one of the most well-known ceramic factories in Finland, for nearly 40 years. In addition, the article touches upon the 24 limited edition plate designs produced annually for Finland’s natioanl epic, Kalevala, from 1976 to 1999. In addition, the article examines the artist’s original illustration style and screen printing technique in creating designs based on poetic stories of both real and prehistoric gods, goddesses and heroes. The article highlights the quality of plate illustrations in this series, which combine folkloric elements with a contemporary interpretation of poetic text, as documenting cultural heritage through an epic. Based on this information, the article describes the designs from 1976 and 1999, featuring Uosikkinen illustrations on the front and a part of the Kalevala epic in Finnish, Swedish and English on the back.