Ilon Wikland’s Followers (26)

Ilon Wikland

Born

in Tartu, Estonia

February 05, 1930

Website

http://www.ilonart.ee/index.php?main=7&lang=eng

Genre

Art

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Ilon Wikland (Maire-Ilon Pääbo)

Her father, Max Pääbo was a civil engineer and her mother, Vida Pääbo-Juse was a painter and textile artist who had graduated from the Pallas Art School in Tartu.

Ilon spent her childhood in Haapsalu. "I have often thought that the best thing that happened to me was going to live with my grandmother and grandfather in Haapsalu. I was like their own child. They cared for me and loved me a lot," explains Wikland many decades later.

Ilon started school in Tallinn and then from 1939–1944 she attended the 1st Primary School in Haapsalu. In late September 1944, Ilon’s grandmother took her to the ship that was to take her, along with a school friend and her family, to Sweden. The war was drawing to an end and Russian Ilon Wikland (Maire-Ilon Pääbo)

Her father, Max Pääbo was a civil engineer and her mother, Vida Pääbo-Juse was a painter and textile artist who had graduated from the Pallas Art School in Tartu.

Ilon spent her childhood in Haapsalu. "I have often thought that the best thing that happened to me was going to live with my grandmother and grandfather in Haapsalu. I was like their own child. They cared for me and loved me a lot," explains Wikland many decades later.

Ilon started school in Tallinn and then from 1939–1944 she attended the 1st Primary School in Haapsalu. In late September 1944, Ilon’s grandmother took her to the ship that was to take her, along with a school friend and her family, to Sweden. The war was drawing to an end and Russian soldiers, the "liberators", started arriving in Haapsalu and across Estonia. Fearful of communism many people escaped from Estonia at that time.

On 25 September 1944, the small ship with 200 refugees arrived in Sweden at Dalarö harbour. The tiring wartime journey lasted three days. In Sweden, Ilon’s aunt found her and took her to live with her.

Ilon went to study at the School for Book and Advertising Art in Stockholm. Later she continued her studies also in Stockholm at Konstfack (University College of Arts, Crafts and Design), then at Signe Barth’s painting school as well as in London and Paris.

It was in Sweden that Ilon met Astrid Lindgren, who liked her drawings and so their many years of collaboration began. The first book Wikland illustrated for Lindgren was "Mio, my Mio". But probably the best known are "Karlsson-on-the-roof”, “The Six Bullerby Children”, “Little Tjorven, the Boatswain and Moses”, "Ronia the Robber’s Daughter” and "The Brothers Lionheart”.

"I could always draw pictures for Astrid Lindgren’s books because her texts were always so wonderful that they provided the pictures themselves. I always knew what kind of illustration needed to go where," remembers Wikland.

On 11 May 2006, Ilon Wikland signed an agreement in Stockholm to give nearly 800 original illustrations, essentially her entire collection, to the Läänemaa County Museum; in other words, to her beloved childhood home of Haapsalu. This is a gift to the entire Estonian nation. Ilon’s Wonderland was opened on 4 July 2006 in Haapsalu with great ceremony and hundreds of guests.

Ilon Wikland now lives in Stockholm. She has four grown-up daughters and 10 grandchildren.

In 2007, an in-depth monograph compiled by Enno Tammer and titled "Ilon Wikland’s World" was published in Estonia.

In 2001, Ilon Wikland was awarded the Order of the White Star, 3rd class. ...more

Combine Editions
Ilon Wikland’s books

Average rating: 4.25 · 83,837 ratings · 3,139 reviews · 182 distinct works • Similar authors

	Sammeli, Epp ja mina by Ilon Wikland, Allar Sooneste (Translator) 4.18 avg rating — 49 ratings — published 1998 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Kullake. Üks tõestisündinud lugu by Ilon Wikland, Allar Sooneste (Translator) 4.39 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Kartulilapsed by Ilon Wikland (Illustrator), Barbro Lindgren, Allar Sooneste (Translator) 3.86 avg rating — 29 ratings — published 2007 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Var är Sammeli? 4.14 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2000	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Een lange, lange reis by Ilon Wikland (illustrator), Rose Lagercrantz, Reina Ollivier (translator) 3.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1995	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Peter och vargen by Ilon Wikland, Mark Levengood, Lars Johansson 2.67 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	I can help too! 3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1974	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sammeli, kom! liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2000	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Boku Mo Oniichan Ni Naritaina by Ilon Wikland, イロン・ヴィークランド (イラスト), 石井登志子 (翻訳) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wo ist Sammeli? liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Ilon Wikland’s Followers (26)

Ilon Wikland

Combine EditionsIlon Wikland’s books

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
Ilon Wikland’s books