September 5th – November 22, 2019 at Yukon Art Center, Whitehorse YT

Into the Kalevala is an experiential immersion into Finnish folklore, the Yukon experience and my Finnish heritage. This monumental multimedia exhibit represents a creative culmination of my life’s work with my three sons as collaborators. I was introduced to the Kalevala when a Finnish aunt sent me the English translation of the book in 1989.

The Kalevala is a Finnish collection of traditional oral tales about the world, nature and mythic creatures. It is filled with epics of not only gods, but of the Finnish people living in a harsh and unforgiving environment. The exhibition pays tribute to this cultural heritage, which remains a cornerstone of the Finnish people leading to independence from Russian rule in 1917.

The ‘Mighty Koli’ borders Koli National Park in eastern Finland in the Karelia region where I stayed for six weeks at an artist residency, Koli Ryynänen, to experience my Finnish heritage and immerse myself in the Kalevala. It is said the dramatic landscapes of Koli National Park is a place where many of the Kalevala epics were born.

Hiking through the park’s forest I envisioned Finnish elves and living characters of trees as part of a whimsical fantasy of Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings series. In the hushed silence of the forest, I felt as if an elf would greet me out from under the magical lush greenery of the ferns and trees.

Chris Stephenson, my youngest son’s created writings interspersed among the visual elements. At the kiosk area, my son Shawn Stephenson wrote, arranged, recorded and performed the music titled Into the Kalevala and Home. My eldest son, Justin Stephenson produced an animation video,  Into, Into the Kalevala, inspired by the visuals of the exhibition. To have my three sons collaborate with this exhibition is truly a magical experience.

“Lillian Loponen made a strong notable contribution to Yukon art communities since 1980, in numerous exhibitions, art instructor, museum exhibits and an advocate for the creative process. Her paintings are located nationally and internationally in noted permanent art collections such as the Royal Collection of Drawing and Watercolours, Winsor Castle, UK.”