Sisu / Lecture: The History of the Finnish in Sweden
11 april 11.15 am–12.15 am • In this lecture, Ali Jonasson explores the presence of Finnish speakers in Sweden over the centuries – including the lesser-known Finnish history of Bohuslän.
Lectures
Talk: Sisu and the Fight for Language
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In this panel discussion, we bring together impressions from the day Sisu / Language & Comics.
The panel shares personal experiences of how creative expression can be used in relation to language and heritage. From the perspectives of writing, comic art and poetry, we gain insight into how the participants work with questions of identity as a driving force.
Meri Alarcón’s engagement centres on Meänkieli, and through her writing she works to strengthen Tornedalian perspectives in contemporary literature. Ali Jonasson highlights, from a multifaceted identity with roots in Swedish-Finnish, Sámi and Lantalainen traditions, issues concerning national minorities’ rights to language and culture. Mats Kejonen, together with Ali Jonasson, has depicted Swedish-Finnish history in a nearly 370-page graphic novel, and was recently awarded a grant from the Kaija Anstensen Memorial Fund for his ongoing book project about one of the leading figures of the Sámi rights movement, Elsa Laula Renberg.
In this talk, we will reflect on what has emerged from the day’sc meetings and workshops. We engage in dialogue with Swedish-Finnish identity – its origins, present and future – while also addressing questions of identity beyond geographical borders. The audience is warmly invited to join the discussion and share thoughts on the day’s themes, regardless of prior participation.
Admission free.
The discussion is moderated by Miku Maria Gustavsson, Chair of Seriefrämjandet (“the Swedish Comics Association”).
“I believe there is enormous potential in combining words and images to document and educate about our shared history”
– Mats Kejonen, in an article on the website of The Sami Association in Stockholm.
Participants
Ali Jonasson
Ali Jonasson (born 1984 in Gothenburg) is a writer, poet, translator, and lecturer with a strong focus on national minority issues, language policy, cultural heritage, and class struggles. With roots in Swedish-Finnish, Sámi, and Lantalaisian traditions, he carries a multi-layered identity that affects both his writing and public engagement. Growing up on Hisingen in Gothenburg has strongly influenced his work. As a lecturer and former researcher in religious studies, he highlights the role of national minorities in Sweden and their right to language and culture. He has co-authored “Finnkampen: The Illustrated History of Swedish Finns” with illustrator Mats Kejonen.
Participants
Meri Alarcón
Meri Alarcón (born 1981) grew up in Kiruna and is now based in Gothenburg. She works as a poet, writer, and translator, with a literary voice shaped by experiences of place, belonging, and multilingualism. Her work sits at the intersection of language, identity, and literature, with a particular focus on Meänkieli – one of Sweden’s national minority languages. Through her writing and work as a translator, she contributes to strengthening and highlighting Tornedalian perspectives in contemporary literature. Alarcón is one of four editors of the Tornedalian literary magazine “Meänmaa“ and is actively involved in developing the literary conversation around language, culture, and minority issues.
Participants
Mats Kejonen
Mats Kejonen is a comic artist and illustrator trained at Malmö University and Kvarnby Comics School. In 2024, he published his first book, an illustrated version of Marx and Engels’ labour movement classic “The Communist Manifesto”. Last year, Mats co-created the comic book “Finnkampen: The Illustrated History of Swedish Finns” with Ali Jonasson. Across 368 pages, the book traces the history of the eastern part of the Swedish kingdom – what is now Finland –, from skull measurements and labour immigration to today’s cultural revival and official recognition.
Moderator
Miku Maria Gustavsson
Miku Maria Gustavsson is an artist and communications strategist, running her own company for 20 years. She is passionate about the intersection of image and storytelling, working with it in a variety of contexts. Her artwork has been published in magazines, and she has extensive experience on stage and in the media. Miku also reviews comics, serves as Chair of Seriefrämjandet (“the Swedish Comics Association”), and will be moderating the programme of the day.
11 April
Sisu / Language & Comics
During a full day, we will explore comics as a means of telling stories about heritage, belonging, and experiences that move across languages and countries. Sweden and Finland share a long and intertwined history. The past century has seen war and migration, events that continue to be reflected in both stories and demographics. Today, Finnish and Meänkieli are recognised as national minority languages in Sweden. Using comics as our starting point, The Nordic Watercolour Museum, together with the Swedish Comics Association, invites you to a day of lectures, talks, and workshops. Come to explore identity through creative drawing or simply to listen to the stories of others.
Full programme
Sisu / Text Workshop with Meri Alarcón
11 April 12.00 noon–2.00 pm • Together with poet and writer Meri Alarcón, participants will try simple writing exercises and work creatively with words, sentences, and cuttings from newspapers.
Reading: ARV – a series of performing arts works
11 april 1.00–1.30 pm • A work in progress reading from the ongoing performing arts project ARV ("Heritage"), a work being developed by Teater Spera on site at The Nordic Watercolour Museum throughout the year. The series explores themes centered on the past and how it shapes the present, and creates encounters between visual art, performing arts, and poetic text.
Sisu / Workshop: Explore Your Identity Through Comics with Mats Kejonen
11 april 1.00–2.00 pm • Swedish-Finnish comic artist Mats Kejonen will give a short introduction to visual storytelling and to exploring identity through comics. Participants will then have the opportunity to create their own comics under Mats’s guidance.
Guided Tour with Finnish Interpretation
11 april 2.00–3.00 pm • We offer a guided tour (in Swedish) with interpretation into Finnish. Join us for a guided tour of the museum’s exhibitions and discover the diversity of watercolour art.
Treasures & Trash / Trade-in Days at the Museum
11 april 12.00 noon–4.00 pm • Trade your trash for someone else's treasures, as we host one of our trade-in days at the museum. Bring a maximum of ten items that you wish to swap. They should be in good condition, so that someone else will want to take them home. For each item you hand in, you get a trade-in ticket that you can exchange for something else.
Current exhibition (until 19 april 2026)
Kollektivet / Picture Book Illustration from Finland
This exhibition is a tribute to the picture book as an art form and to the magic that arises when images, words and imagination come together in the hands of some of Finland’s most significant illustrators. Sweden and Finland have an interwoven history and Finnish is one of the five national minority languages in Sweden. Picture books, and this exhibition, invite discussion across the horizon of language and boundaries – a space where images can communicate, and where stories open doors to both inner and outer worlds.
Read more about the exhibition