Saarijärvi Graffiti 1992-1996

An exhibition curated by rapper Pekka Karppinen, known as King Hazelnut, presents previously unseen archive photographs of graffiti from Saarijärvi in the early 1990s. The exhibition is organized by the Friends of Saarijärvi Museum.

The exhibition brings together rare sketches and photographs from a time when international street culture reached a small town in central Finland - before the internet, when information spread through music videos, films, and photographs passed hand to hand. Graffiti had arrived in Finland through larger cities, especially Helsinki, and gradually spread across the country.

For its size, Saarijärvi was clearly ahead of its time: the walls showed Swedish influences, yet the style remained distinctly local. The exhibition illuminates a chapter of local cultural history that has largely existed only in memories and photo albums.