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05/11/2025. A new electronic edition SULO. Karelia in the paintings by Sulo Juntunen
We present to our readers a new electronic publication, SULO. Karelia in the Paintings by Sulo Juntunen, created by the Information Technology Centre of the National Library of Karelia following an exhibition prepared at the Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia. The exhibition was held to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the birth of Karelian landscape artist Sulo Juntunen (1915–1980).
The museum exhibition contained about 50 paintings created by the artist in 1960s and 1970s, during the “mature” period of creativity. The master’s artistic language influenced the definition of a regional identity for the image of northern nature in landscapes. Sulo Juntunen dedicated himself to landscape painting, developing a recognizable style of painting — restrained, laconic, with a distinctive decorativity, imbued with subtle lyricism. The artist possessed an epic, expansive vision, elevating his images to a high artistic level, thereby expressing his attitude toward his native land, nature, and life in the North.
Today, paintings by Sulo Juntunen became the uniquely executed figurative embodiment of Karelia, with its typical landscapes and changing natural conditions. The rocky banks of rapid rivers, the smooth surface of a lake reflecting majestic pine trees, the first snow, or the light of a midday summer sun — the paintings become deep philosophical reflections on the Karelian land.
We invite you to visit the Art gallery of the National Library of Karelia. Open, look, read! Pay attention to the artist's quotes.