Jaakko Valo’s art has a strong pacifist ethos and concern for fellow human beings. He is vexed by humanity’s innate appetite for war and feels that art is a chance to belong to the community and to make a difference.

Valo’s media are drawing, painting, sculpture, relief and assemblage. He explores the impact of war and militarism on humanity by depicting the destruction of cities. In his most recent collage paintings, buildings ravaged by war in Syria are set against views from another country and era, with Valo imagining what landmark buildings in Jyväskylä would look like if ravaged.

Jaakko Valo was born in Kaustinen in 1954, and he has lived in Jyväskylä since 1977. During his long career, Valo has become known especially for the large public murals he created in Jyväskylä.