Over a hundred years ago, the Swedish visual artist John Bauer (1882–1918) wandered through the forests of Småland. In his sketchbook, he captured tree trunks, roots, mosses, stones, and animals. From Bauer’s nature excursions emerged an original visual world that spread widely in the form of the Among Gnomes and Trolls publications during the years 1907–1915. The sympathetic trolls, delicate princesses, tiny gnomes, and other mysterious forest creatures have delighted children and adults alike for decades. Today, Bauer’s work is a natural part of Swedish art history and Nordic cultural heritage.

The exhibition presents lithographs from Bauer’s iconic “Troll” portfolio alongside approximately twenty preparatory sketches, all on loan from Jönköping County Museum – the primary institution preserving the artist’s legacy. The exhibition’s approximately thirty works — including prints and sketches — offer insight into how John Bauer created illustrations and how he worked with storytelling. The wondrous beings, drawn from folklore, have inspired the contemporary artists featured in the exhibition. Using their chosen expression, style and technique, they have created works that engage in dialogue with Bauer’s imagery. The artists Valtteri Alanen and Eglė Šimėnaitė, Meri Hallenberg, Denisse Islas, Kristiina Kivimäki, Anni Oja, Lotta Rapeli, Sarah Råholm, Mailis Saralehto, and Maija Westerholm respond to Bauer’s legacy through their distinctive techniques and visual languages, forging a vibrant conversation between tradition and contemporary artistic practice. The sculptures by Runar Gottberg are from the collection of the Västra Nylands museum [Museum of Western Uusimaa] and on loan from private individuals.

The exhibition is a collaboration between Chappe, the Children’s Culture Center Färi (Turku), and the Jönköping County Museum (Sweden).

The curators of the exhibition are PhD Pia Hovi, curator at Chappe; MA Marika Leinonen-Vainio, director of the Children’s Culture Center Färi; and PhD Martin Sundberg, Head of Documentation and Collections at the Jönköping County Museum.