Why Children Literature Matters: On Smilende Smilla and the Art of Saying Goodbye
In 1983, Andy Warhol exhibited at the Newport Art Museum. But this time, it wasn’t for critics or collectors — it was for children.
Andy Warhol for Children was a quiet, radical gesture. Paintings were hung at a child’s eye level, against walls covered in fish-patterned wallpaper. The space was playful, strange, and designed with children in mind — not as an afterthought, but as the intended audience.
This gesture continues to resonate today. What does it mean to take children seriously — not just as future audiences, but as viewers in their own right? And how often are they offered space in galleries not merely as guests, but as participants?
From 15 May to 8 June 2025, Kyst Gallery presents Smilende Smilla: The Drawings of Cecilie Birk Carmona, an exhibition of original drawings by Dragør-based artist and educator Cecilie Birk Carmona. The works are taken from the newly published children’s book of the same name, created in collaboration with writer and veterinarian Lina Junker. The story follows a child, Ole, and his beloved dog, Smilla, and explores the quiet emotional terrain that emerges when a final goodbye approaches.
At its heart, Smilende Smilla is a story about loss. Yet it also speaks of loyalty, memory, and the depth of relationship. Rather than amplifying these themes with drama, the book allows them to unfold with gentleness, honesty, and warmth.
Kyst Gallery chose to present this project as a curated exhibition. This decision comes from a belief that children’s literature, particularly when rendered with such emotional and visual clarity, deserves to be shown with the same respect as any contemporary artwork. Cecilie Birk Carmona’s drawings are created with ink and watercolour — familiar, accessible materials — yet handled with care. Her use of space allows for focus. As a preschool teacher, her experience with storytelling informs her choices. Removed from the pages of a book and placed on the gallery wall, each illustration becomes a moment for observation and reflection.
Smilende Smilla follows a lineage of Nordic storytelling that includes Tove Jansson and Astrid Lindgren — artists who never underestimated the emotional intelligence of children. Like them, Junker and Carmona approach grief with respect. They do not avoid it, soften it, or obscure it. Instead, they offer language and imagery that allows both children and adults to feel seen. One particular drawing shows a black hole in Ole’s stomach — it is with these subtle but expressive details that her drawings connect with the children and their experience of growing.
This exhibition is also part of Kyst Gallery’s sponsorship initiative to support and celebrate meaningful art and literature for children. Kyst Gallery provides the gallery space for free, with curatorial support. As part of this program, a hundred percent of all sales — including books, original drawings, and prints — will go directly to the author and artist. It is a gesture rooted in our belief that work created with integrity and emotional clarity deserves recognition.
A public book launch will take place at the gallery in the afternoon on 31 May with storytelling and sparkling apples. All children and their adults are welcome.
In an art world that often privileges speed, spectacle, and theory, Smilende Smilla reminds us of the quiet power of stories. It offers a different kind of presence — one grounded in care, memory, and the delicate emotional terrain of childhood.
We believe there is strength in gentleness, and relevance in the seemingly small.
As the saying goes, “storytellers rule the world.” In the quiet town of Dragør, through our quiet efforts, we hope to inspire the next generation of artists, readers, and dreamers.
Smilende Smilla: The Drawings of Cecilie Birk Carmona runs from 15 May to 8 June 2025.
