Towards Summer – Virpi Pekkala’s maximum cards
Towards Summer is an exhibition featuring more than 100 maximum cards that will get viewers into the summer mood. The cards, based on artist Virpi Pekkala’s postcards, come from Leena Vainio’s extensive collection of maximum cards. The exhibition also includes scale models depicting the cards’ themes made by Pekkala herself.
What on earth is a maximum card?
Maximaphily is a branch of philately. On a maximum card, a postage stamp is placed on the picture-side of a card and stamped with a postmark. The image, stamp and postmark must be as thematically similar as possible. According to the rules of maximaphily, the stamp and postmark must both be in use at the time the maximum card is made.
Virpi Pekkala – one of Finland’s most popular postcard artists
Virpi Pekkala’s cards have brought joy to their senders and recipients for almost fifty years. Pekkala drew her first postcards in the mid-1960s, and in 1980 it became a full-time occupation when she set up her company. She has created about 2,000 postcards.
Virpi Pekkala paints her postcards in their actual size using watercolours and finishes the images with thin black ink. Her cards are never just pictures; they all have a name and a story. The names often contain a pun or joke. Pekkala has also illustrated books, calendars, textiles, dishes, paper bags, sweet wrappers and stamps.
The Virpi Pekkala Club
Admirers of Virpi Pekkala’s illustrations founded the Virpi Pekkala Club in 2003. It cherishes Pekkala’s production, participates in events and organises various kind of activities. The club has 130 members (2022).
