18.9. – 17.10.2026 – KellariGalleria, Children’s Cultural Center Aurora, Espoo
As part of the 10th anniversary Kulttuurikeskus NINHO ry, this exhibition presents the work of Brazilian artist, writer, and illustrator Roger Mello, one of the most influential voices in contemporary children’s literature and visual storytelling.
Awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2014, Roger Mello has developed a multidisciplinary practice that moves fluidly between literature, visual arts, memory, and cultural research. His work challenges conventional distinctions between text and image, transforming the book into a space where narrative, visual experimentation, and collective memory converge.
At the heart of Mello’s artistic universe lies a profound engagement with the diversity of life, expressed through nature, memory, language, and cultural narratives. Images, stories, myths, oral traditions, popular knowledge, and ancestral memories intertwine to construct narratives that reflect the richness and complexity of human experience. Drawing from diverse cultural landscapes and historical layers, his work invites viewers to navigate territories where imagination and reality continuously overlap.
The exhibition also features a series of embroidered works from the Roger por Muito Fios project, inspired by Roger Mello’s books. Created by Brazilian embroidery artists and curated by Marisa da Silva, the works bring another material and visual dimension to Mello’s stories and illustrations.
Selected Books & Illustrations on Display
- Kolibrí, Roger Mello, 2026
- Sherjahaan, by Dai Yun, illustrations by Roger Mello, 2026
- A Pena, by Cao Wenxuan, illustrations by Roger Mello, 2022
- Curupira, Roger Mello, 2022
- Espinho de Arraia, Roger Mello, 2022
- Bookbird, cover illustration by Roger Mello, 2014
- Ossos do Ofício, Roger Mello, 2009
- Carvoeirinhos, Roger Mello, 2009
- João por um Fio, Roger Mello, 2005
- Jardins, by Roseana Murray, illustrations by Roger Mello, 2001
- Meninos do Mangue, Roger Mello, 2001
- Ri Melhor Quem Ri Primeiro, José Paulo Paes, poem by Guillaume Apollinaire, illustration by Roger Mello, 1998
Rather than illustrating fixed meanings, Mello’s works open spaces for interpretation. Themes such as identity, migration, childhood, cultural heritage, community, and the environment emerge through poetic visual compositions that encourage reflection and discovery. The exhibition also offers insights into the artist’s creative process, presenting sketches, studies, and materials that reveal the intricate relationship between research, imagination, and artistic experimentation.
Through a practice that bridges literature, visual culture, and contemporary art, Roger Mello creates spaces where stories become encounters between generations, cultures, and different ways of seeing the world. His work invites audiences not only to read images, but also to experience storytelling as a shared space of imagination, memory, and cultural exchange.
The exhibition is curated by Fabu Pires.
This is Kulttuurikeskus NINHO production and has been possible thanks to thanks support of Brazilian Embassy, Instituto Guimarães Rosa- Helsinque, Aurora Children Culture Center, Espoo City, Helsinki City, Taike, Svenska kulturfonden and Brazilian in Finland ry.
The exhibition can be visited at KellariGalleria in the Children Cultural Center Aurora (Järvenperäntie 1 3, Espoo, Finland) from 18.9 to 17.10.2026. Free entrance!
Opening hours:
Mon & Tue 9 am- 4 pm for groups (registration needed)
Wed – Sat 10am – 1pm open for all
Sun closed