Kertu Vellerind (b. 1967 in Tallinn)
1997 EAA MA
I spent nine years in total in the jewellery department of the Academy of Arts – this included BA and MA studies, advanced courses in Lahti Institute of Design in Finland (1992) and Hanau Drawing Academy in Germany (1993), one year of academic leave and three wonderful summers as a member of the Fenno-Ugric expedition of SAIE (1990–1992).
Since 1995 I have been a freelance artist, since 1996 a member of the Estonian Artists’ Association. I have participated in many exhibitions in Estonia and abroad.
In my creation I appreciate good humour, emotions, fine sensibility, intuition, free hand. I like playing with colours, simple stories, topical things, lives of people.- In the book “A-Gallery. Estonian art jewellery gallery for 20 years” (2014)
“This golden dog was brought to me by Jaak Joala’s wife, to throw away or do whatever I wanted with it. I didn’t know what to do with it, it just sat and sat… Then the year of the dog arrived and I thought why not, and made it into a piece of jewellery. All of my jewellery creations have some sort of trick; it can be many years before anyone discovers them. I’m that kind of a prankster, life is too serious.
One brooch sat for over a decade. Meanwhile, the state and currency changed, it still sat around. And then a man came in the door, pointed straight at it and said “For mother-in-law” and left.
When the gallery was in its old location, I filled a display cabinet as a student. I happened to be there when a Japanese woman came in and said, “That entire cabinet please.”. I said, “Excuse me?”, I thought she was kidding. But no, she was a gallerist and took all of the jewellery with her.” – Kertu Vellerind at the A-Gallery exhibition MEMORY CARDS (2019)
