On July 11, 2025, at 6 PM, the international illustration exhibition The Magical Forest, which originated from the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, will open at the Płock Gallery of Fine Arts in Poland.
The exhibition features works by 48 renowned illustrators from 15 countries, including Estonia and Poland. First presented in autumn 2024 at the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre in Tallinn, the exhibition has begun its international journey, inviting visitors to explore forests that are mystical, wild, and unique.
According to the exhibition’s curator, Viive Noor, although European forests today are mostly safe spaces, their magical aura still lingers: “Dense primeval forests may have faded, but their magic remains. Every person has their own forest, and every forest has its own story. The artists featured in this exhibition have opened the door to their own magical forests.”
The illustrations vary greatly in technique, style, and atmosphere. Through them, the forest becomes a setting where emotions, fantasy, and the forces of nature meet.
Among the participating artists are many well-known Estonian illustrators: Kadri Ilves, Kristi Kangilaski, Tuulike Kivestu-Rotella, Kadi Kurema, Anne Linnamägi, Regina Lukk-Toompere, Jüri and Piret Mildeberg, Piret Niinepuu-Kiik, Viive Noor, Anne Pikkov, Marja-Liisa Plats, Ulla Saar, Kertu Sillaste, Urmas Viik, and Catherine Zarip.
The exhibition is held under the honorary patronage of the Mayor of Płock, Andrzej Nowakowski. It is organized in Poland by the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia in Warsaw and the director of the Płock Gallery, Alicja Wasilewska.
The Magical Forest is the seventh exhibition curated by Viive Noor in collaboration with the Płock Gallery and the Estonian Embassy.
The exhibition will be open to visitors in Płock from July 12 to August 24, 2025.
