ILAI ELIAS LEHTO x KAHO SUZUKI – Yōkai/Troll 妖怪/フォッコ

Yōkai/Peikko is an exhibition by two Tampere based artists. We examine mythological creatures from Finnish and Japanese storytelling traditions side by side through illustrations, paintings and textile sculptures.

In the exhibition you will encounter characters and stories from two different folklore traditions, such as Näkki and Kappa, Trolls (Peikko) and Oni or Kotitonttu and Zashiki Warashi. While creating interpretations of these mythical creatures, we have reflected upon how these two distant nature-believing cultures have explained the wonders of the world with surprisingly similar myths and magical creatures.

Japanese illustrator Kaho Suzuki’s minimalistic, endearing and dynamic style creates modern versions of the Finnish characters. Suzuki graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2016, and continued her art study in Kokkola, Finland. In 2020, she moved to Norway to obtain Master’s degree in Visual Communication from Fakultet for Kunst, Musikk og Design, UiB (KMD). At the end of 2024, she returned to Tampere, Finland.

Ilai Elias Lehto, originally from North Karelia, approaches Japanese yōkai spirits through ink works and wool felting. Lehto graduated as a visual artist from TAMK in 2016 and completed his Master's degree studies at Aalto University (2018) and the Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki (2021). He works at the Takahuhti Art Center in Tampere.

HAY Second Hand Art Space is located inside the second hand clothing store in the center of Tampere, Aleksanterinkatu 17.

The exhibition is open during the opening hours of the HAY Second Hand store.

The Pirkanmaa Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation has supported the work of the artists in the exhibition.