On 9 June 2026 at 4:00 p.m., the Estonian Centre for Children’s Literature will open the exhibition Sometimes Sorrows, Sometimes a Tiny Dog by acclaimed Polish illustrator Grażyna Rigall. The exhibition will remain open to visitors until 7 August. It is organised in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tallinn as part of the programme of Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States.
The exhibition presents a selection of the artist’s original illustrations from several acclaimed children’s books: Oh, Fear! and The Dandelion Field by Katarzyna Ryrych, The Man, as He Is, Everyone Sees by Marzena Matuszak, The Angel Breeder’s Guide by Grzegorz Kasdepke, The Frog in Africa by Marek Dutkiewicz, About a Boy as Noble as a Rock by Jerzy Limon, and The Deer and the Moods of Hipolit Kabel by Roksana Jędrzejewska-Wróbel.
The exhibition’s title refers to a recurring motif in the artist’s work. Although the stories illustrated by Rigall are not always light-hearted or cheerful, her pictures often feature dogs, cats and other animals. These four-legged characters appear both as protagonists and as discreet supporting figures, helping to create the mood and atmosphere of the illustrations.
Visitors are invited to embark on a kind of discovery journey, searching for different animals hidden in the illustrations and observing how the images evolve throughout the creative process. The exhibition also offers an opportunity to compare the original artworks with their printed versions and gain a deeper understanding of how book illustrations come to life.
Beyond her artistic work, the exhibition also reflects the illustrator’s personal interests. Rigall loves flowers and animals, and her home is filled with both plants and a small dog that often serves as a source of inspiration for her work.
Grażyna Rigall (b. 1970) is a Polish illustrator, painter and graphic designer whose work is characterised by a sensitive visual language, subtle humour and a keen attentiveness to her subjects. She has illustrated numerous children’s and young adult books and has received recognition both in Poland and internationally.
Further information:
Maarja Viiding
Exhibition Coordinator
Estonian Centre for Children’s Literature
E-mail: maarja.viiding@elk.ee
Tel: +372 617 7661
