In the words of the artist:
A good paddling tour is so much more than paddling: napping on warm cliffs on the beach, eating your packed lunch on beach cobbles, reading a good book while you wait for the wind to calm down, camping, swimming, sauna bathing… My poster is about the Finnish lakes, rivers, seas and islands. You can see my comic book characters, the mouse and the duck, alter egos for me and my husband Christoffer Leka, among a group of other water fauna. My dear friend Tuomas Mäkinen is responsible for the colour scheme. One who is yet to be talked into taking a paddling tour.
I grew up by a small lake, thinking that the sea is big and dangerous, but over the last decade I’ve started exploring the Finnish archipelago by kayak and fallen in love with the open waters. Eating, sleeping and reading a good book are essential parts of a successful kayaking expedition, so I wanted to include all of these activities in my poster.
Surely travel posters can’t simply remain a cry from the past?
Absolutely not. We live in a completely visual world where the picture is stronger than ever. That’s why the following question hit us: How would contemporary artists depict Finland of today?
We could not let that thought go, so since 2016 we continuously arrange international travel poster contests and we’ve also asked specific graphic designers and artists to create new Finnish travel posters for us.
So now Finland once again attracts travellers with glamour and cries of joy from paradise.
With the help of the travel poster!
