Stoa Gallery (downstairs)
September 3–20, 2026
The project brings together contemporary Ukrainian and Finnish comics creators and emphasises support for Ukraine. The collaboration includes the Ukrainian publishing house Vydavnytstvo, the contemporary comics association Kutikuti, and Helsinki Comics Festival. The comics will also be published in Kuti magazine at the end of the year.
The festival’s theme for 2026 is “Together,” which also highlights the importance of cooperation during difficult times. There is an emerging comics culture in Ukraine, and Ukrainian comics will be showcased at Helsinki Comics Festival for the first time this year.
The exhibition is supported by WSOY Literary Foundation, Finnish Comics Professionals and Culture Moves Europe.
Terhi Ekebom (b. 1971) is a Helsinki-based comics and visual artist, illustrator, and muralist, who has been awarded the Puupäähattu prize. Her work often features themes of nature and the depiction of emotions.
Ivanda Jansone (b. 1982) is a Helsinki-based comics and visual artist specialising in silent storytelling. Her most well-known publication is Mustavalkoinen mestariteos (Black and White Masterpiece, 2023).
Ivan Kypibida (b. 1995) is an illustrator, comic creator, and art lecturer from Lviv. His illustrated book A Brief History of a Long War (2025) is the most famous Ukrainian comic book and has been translated into several languages, including Finnish. Other works include A Short History of Ukrainian Feminism (2022) and A Short History of Ukrainian Literature (2024).
Ton Melnyk (b. 1988) is a textile and comics artist from Kyiv, living in Finland since 2022. Their works explore themes such as queer topics, community, history, and war. They are working on a long-form documentary comic about the Holodomor through their grandmother’s story.
Sofija Sulii (b. 1995) is a Lviv-based comics artist who has published several comics in her home country and internationally, including the book A Short History of Ukrainian Borscht (2023).
Aino Sutinen (b. 1983) is a Helsinki-based comics creator, illustrator, and editor-in-chief of Sarjainfo magazine, who specialises in documentary topics.
Sofija Tomilenko (b. 1998) is a Kyiv-based children’s book author and comics artist. Her latest work is A Short History of Ukrainian Sex (2026).
Julija Vus (b. 1996) is a Lviv-based illustrator, comics creator, and art teacher, who has illustrated comics such as A Brief History of a Long War (Finnish edition 2025), A Short History of Ukrainian Feminism (2022), and A Short History of Ukrainian Literature (2024).