Celebrating Artist Aleksandra Ionowa

Join us in person for a FREE evening celebration of the visionary Finnish artist Aleksandra Ionowa, as we launch Light From The North, the first English-language survey of her mediumistic art, with a talk, book signing and a chance to see her original drawings.

Aleksandra Ionowa (1899–1980) began her life as an artist under the guidance of the spirit world in July 1946. Over the decades that followed, she created thousands of works that captivated a wide audience. Her distinctive visual language offered glimpses of a spiritual reality beyond the material world, inviting viewers to encounter forms and ideas that transcended cultural, religious and artistic boundaries. Conveying what many have perceived as a deep and timeless wisdom, her art continues to hold an enduring, universal appeal.

Published by Strange Attractor Press and edited by Nina Kokkinen and Vivienne Roberts, Light From The North is the first English-language survey of Ionowa's incandescent mediumistic and visionary art. Richly illustrated and drawing on recent scholarly research, the book also opens a fascinating window onto the history of esotericism in Finland, the cultural world in which Ionowa developed her remarkable practice, and its relevance today.

The College of Psychic Studies has become an important home for Ionowa's work outside Finland, holding more than 50 original drawings gifted by the Aleksandra Ionowa Society and Foundation. It is a fitting setting, then, for the book's editors, two leading voices in the study of esotericism and mediumistic art, to share the story of this extraordinary artist.

What to expect

To celebrate the publication, Nina Kokkinen and Vivienne Roberts will be in conversation with the College's Archivist and Curator, Jacqui McIntosh. Together they'll explore Ionowa's life, her spirit-guided practice and the research behind the book. After the talk, you're invited to spend time with a selection of Ionowa's original drawings, currently on display as part of the College's exhibition The Etheric Field, and to have your copy of the book signed.

This free event includes:

• 7pm: A conversation between editors Nina Kokkinen and Vivienne Roberts and College curator Jacqui McIntosh
• 7.45pm: View Aleksandra Ionowa's artworks on the second and fourth floors
• 8.30pm: A book signing with the editors of Light From The North
• 9pm: Close

Who is this evening for?

• Anyone fascinated by mediumistic, visionary and spirit-inspired art
• Those interested in the history of esotericism, Spiritualism and Theosophy
• Art lovers keen to discover an overlooked artist and her remarkable body of work
• Visitors who would like to see the College's collection of Ionowa's original drawings
• Readers looking to meet the editors and get their copy of the book signed

Book now to spend an evening in the company of Aleksandra Ionowa's luminous art and the experts bringing her story to an English-speaking audience for the first time.

Meet your speakers

Nina Kokkinen
Nina Kokkinen, PhD, MFA, is a research doctor at the Donner Institute in Finland, specialising in the impact of esotericism on art and creativity. Her research explores esoteric spirituality in modern Nordic art, and she has curated exhibitions on the subject including The Inner Eye (Gallen-Kallela Museum and Tikanoja Art Museum, 2019) and The Path to Hidden Knowledge (Villa Gyllenberg, Helsinki, 2020). She also co-edited Spiritual Treasures: Esotericism in the Finnish Art World 1890–1950, making her an expert guide to the world in which Ionowa worked.

Vivienne Roberts
Vivienne Roberts is an art historian and curator specialising in the history of mediumistic and visionary art. She has built a collection of works dating from the 1850s to the present day, including pieces by Ionowa, with the aim of shining a light on artists who have been overlooked in art history. Through research, talks, publications and exhibitions, she works to deepen public understanding and appreciation of this extraordinary genre.

Jacqui McIntosh
As Archivist and Curator, Jacqui McIntosh cares for The College of Psychic Studies' large collection of spirit-inspired art, photography and artefacts, dating from 1850 to the present day. Independently, she is a researcher, curator and writer whose work spans feminist, mediumistic and esoteric histories, with a particular interest in artists whose spiritual development evolved alongside their creative practice. She received a Curatorial Research Grant from the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art in 2023–24.

Explore The Etheric Field: