Leida Illend (b. 1940 in Leningrad District)
1972 SAIE
I graduated from Tartu Art School as a decorator in 1966 and continued my studies on the speciality of jewellery in SAIE. After that I worked until 1995 in ARS art production company of the art fund of the ESSR as an artist-producer of author’s series. Later I have been a freelancer, belonging into the circle of the artists of A-Gallery. I have been a member of Jewellery Artists’ Association and Artists’ Association since 1983.
My participation in exhibitions began in 1971 in Jablonec. In 1973 I participated in the triennial of Baltic countries, in 1982 in the exhibition FROM ARTISTS TO PEOPLE in Moscow. My personal exhibition was held in 1983. Furthermore I have participated in exhibitions in Toronto, Murmansk, Leningrad, Yugoslavia, Poland, Germany, Hungary and Vilnius. Exhibition of jewellery artists EYES took place in the gallery of Vabaduse Square. In 1998 an exhibition of Group 10 was held in the Town Hall of Tallinn. In 2006 I had a personal exhibition CLARITY in the Safe of A-Gallery. In 2013 I participated in the exhibitions of jewellery artists in the gallery of the Masters’ Courtyard.
I am grateful to the muse of art, who has touched me gently, and to my family, the constructive force of life.- In the book “A-Gallery. Estonian art jewellery gallery for 20 years” (2014)
“What is creation? It is like a spring coming out of the depths of the earth, formed by a river and full of obstacles. Which at time flows slowly, then quickly; at some points froths and then bubbles. My jewellery has such obstacles as well. I thought that Estonians like to listen to stories, and then everyone can think about whether or not this particular jewellery has a story or not.
A piece of jewellery is a symbiosis of iridescent stones and silver born of fire. It is full of mystery, in order to pass on the movement of water, a waterfall, which breaks down all barriers, but the water continues to flow.” – Leida Illend at the A-Gallery exhibition MEMORY CARDS (2019)