COLOUR – The Central Finnish Art Collection Exhibition

COLOUR is a major collection exhibition highlighting the central role of colour in Finnish modern art. The exhibition presents abstract art from Central Finland—paintings and sculptures—spread across two museums: the Jyväskylä Art Museum and the Museum of Central Finland.

The exhibition focuses particularly on the manifestations of colorism and concretism in the region’s art. Colour is viewed both as a structural and emotional element—a means of constructing space, rhythm, and meaning. The exhibition also emphasizes informalism and its influence on artists in the region.

At its artistic and historical core, the exhibition centers on the profound influence of Sam Vanni, who was not only a respected art educator but also a leading proponent of concretism and colour theory in Finnish art. His legacy can be seen in the works of many featured artists—as a dialogue between colour and form where thought and emotion merge into a visual experience. The exhibition also includes Vanni’s own works, such as Alpha II (1959), Union (1956), and Homage to Prokofiev (1954).

The exhibition features works by, among others:
Veikko Koskinen, Raimo Paavola, Juhani Petäjäniemi, Veikko Hirvimäki, Eila Kinnunen, Jo Niemeyer, Jaakko Valo, Ilkka Väätti, Anna-Liisa Aho, Anita Dahl-Kreuger, Harald Karsten, Pertti Karjalainen, Lauri Laine, Liisa Malkamo, and many others.

The background of the exhibition is shaped by both internationally and nationally significant artists—including Göran Augustson, Birger Carlstedt, Ernst Mether-Borgström, Edgard Pillet, and especially Sam Vanni—whose work has inspired and influenced the art scene of Central Finland.

COLOUR in Central Finland invites the viewer to experience how colour builds worlds—with the precision of concretism and the freedom of colorism.

January 24 – April 26, 2026
Jyväskylä Art Museum and Museum of Central Finland
in collaboration with Keuruu Museum and Saarijärvi Museum