Exhibition of Oulu-themed exlibris in Pegasus Library until May 2

An exlibris exhibition is on display in front of the Maisemasali on the third floor of the Pegasus Library until early May. The exhibition offers a brief overview of the contents of the bookplate collection, consisting of over 10,000 bookplates donated to the library in 1999 by Mirjam Kinos.

The exhibition features a selection of Oulu-themed bookplates from the collection, in honor of Oulu’s year as the European Capital of Culture. In keeping with this theme, the exhibition showcases bookplates by various Oulu-based artists, other cultural figures, and some institutions in Oulu. Mirjam Kinos (1915-2002) was herself an Oulu-based artist who worked as an art teacher. Her own bookplates, as well as bookplates she illustrated, are also included in the exhibition. The exhibition is curated by library interns.

What is an exlibris?

Exlibris or bookplates indicate who owns the book. Bookplate is like a small work of art intended to be attached to the inside cover of a book. The image on it often aims to symbolically depict the owner's interests or other things that are important to them. The image may represent the owner's profession, hometown or hobbies.

The bookplates on display in the exhibition highlight their owners’ roots in Oulu. For example the bookplate of Aaro Korkeakivi, former CEO of Kaleva, depicts a figure reading the Kaleva newspaper. The bookplate of Veikko A. Koskenniemi, a poet from Oulu, features a view of Ainola Park in Oulu.

You can visit the exhibition during the library’s opening hours. Welcome!