Back Posted on

SURPRISE EGG EXHIBITION

crk

crkcrkcrkrkrkrkrkrkrkrkrkrkrkrkr

crk

These are the sounds of hatching.

SURPRISE!

A flash SURPRISE EGG EXHIBITION is taking place at A-Galerii. We kindly ask you not to lay around at home but to come immediately here to see the spherical creations of our artists. From the exhibition, you can purchase both an IRON EGG, a SILVER EGG, and a GOLDEN EGG. Some of the artworks guarantee a first-place finish in an home egg-knocking competition, while others serve as talismans, bestowing the tranquility of inner peace upon life.

Participating artists:

Adolfas Šaulys, Ane Raunam, Caius Kull, Edgar Volkov, Ene Valter, Henry Mardisalu, Ivar Kaasik, Ive Maria Köögard, Kadi Kübarsepp, Kalle Kotselainen, Katrin Kosenkranius, Katrin Veegen, Keesi Kapsta, Krista Laos, Liina Lelov, Mari Pärtelpoeg, Merike Balod, Raili Vinn, Sille Luiga, Sven Tali, Ülle Mesikäpp, Ülle Voosalu, Vello Lillemets ja Viktorija Lillemets.

Curated by Sille Luiga

The SURPRISE EGG EXHIBITION can be visited from March 11 in the showroom of A-Galerii and the exhibition will remain open until April 30, 2024. We are grateful for spreading the word!

Eggs can also be found in our e-shop under the EGG category.

Back Posted on

A TOUCH OF OLD, A TOUCH OF NEW

The exhibition A TOUCH OF OLD, A TOUCH OF NEW showcases how the works of artist Raili Vinn, who is celebrating her 80th birthday, have evolved over time. The jewellery from the years 1989-90 is on display on A-Galerii’s WINDOW, while the new pieces created in 2023 are exhibited in the VAULT. Behind the chronological simplicity of the artist’s exhibition design lies Vinn’s contemplation on the abstract nature of ageing.

In the material world, people are constantly surrounded by both old and new items. Over an indeterminate period of time, the things transform from their initial state of new to become old. The assessment of “old” is subjective – sometimes an item or a phenomenon ages within a few days, and at other times, something from years ago still seems new.

Within the artist’s timeline, the distinctions of “old” and “new” blur in the massive continuum of existence, from which we seek to determine the age of materials used in her jewellery. Even the freshly crafted “new” pieces encompass both the old and the new. Among the materials used for the jewellery are ancient fossilised corals found in Estonian limestone, side by side with contemporary “new” corals – pieces from a coral reef that have been found from the shores of South China Sea.


Raili Vinn (born in 1943) is an Estonian jewellery artist. Her artistic journey began after completing high school, as she studied goldsmithing at ARS Kunstikool and continued her studies at the Estonian Academy of Arts (previously known as ERKI). To this day, she is devoted to the craft of jewellery making with great joy and passion. She is a member of the Estonian Artists’ Association and the Estonian Association of Metal Artists. Currently working as a freelance jewellery artist, Vinn previously worked as an artist in the media industry at Ajakirjanduslevi and the advertising company Antiikva and as the chief artist at the jewellery company Ars-Juveel.

Back Posted on

CORAL TIME

The fossils found in Estonian limestone have fascinated me for twenty years. The beauty and longevity of some life forms through the ages is also amazing. 400 million year old petrified corals are the direct ancestors of modern corals. We can only admire the designed beauty of nature and its durability over time.
In my work I have used fossil corals from the collection of an Estonian explorer, geologist Helle Perens, together with modern corals.

Raili Vinn

Back Posted on

VINN x OJASTE x VEEGEN x LAURITS

SPELL OF LIMESTONE
Raili Vinn

Raili Vinn is mostly known in Estonian art history for using and highlighting limestone as decorative material. Together with geologist and limestone researcher Helle Perens, she has created series of limestone jewellery since 1992, emphasising the diversity of local limestone. Raili Vinn has exceptional knowledge of stone – she has great sensitivity towards stones used in jewellery and she makes her choices with enthusiasm and profound dedication to the material. Perhaps this is the reason why she can shape limestone into jewellery with such mastery – Vinn skilfully makes use of the colour, patterns and fossils in limestone, sourced from various locations and geological strata.

SPELL OF LIMESTONE is Raili Vinn’s sixth exhibition dedicated to limestone.

Raili Vinn (1943) is an Estonian jewellery artist. After graduating from secondary school Vinn studied goldsmithing at ARS Juveel, so it was only natural that she continued her studies at the Metal Art Department at the State Art Institute of the Estonian SSR, which she graduated from in 1969. The following years Vinn spent creating window displays and decorations for Soviet retail and later worked as a graphic designer for Ajakirjanduslevi. She remained active as an artist and was known both in Estonia and elsewhere for her fine and distinguished gold and silver jewellery with a crisp and concrete feel, softened by skilfully chosen precious and semi-precious stones. It was around that time Vinn had her solo exhibitions (1977 and 1987), participated in applied art exhibition of the Estonian SSR, Baltic Applied Art Triennials and international jewellery exhibitions in Jablonec, Czechoslovakia (1984 and 1987). In the last decade of 20th century Vinn was the head artist of Ars Juveel for a short period of time. After Estonia regained independence, Vinn began a new, still ongoing era in her work – with her focus on limestone, she also combines sea shells found on the beach, corals, stones from the sea and other found materials with gold, silver and precious stones. During the past three decades her work has been exhibited both at solo exhibitions in Estonia as well as in Kiel, Berlin, Copenhagen, Krakow and elsewhere. In 1994 she received the Ede Kurrel Prize and her works belong to the collections of Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design. In 2020 Raili Vinn’s jewellery are exhibited at The Anatomy of Estonian Art Jewellery 1953-2019 at Tartu Art Museum.

HANDFUL OF PRAYERS
Hans-Otto Ojaste

HANDFUL OF PRAYERS juxtaposes the movements involved in snacking on sunflower seeds and handling prayer beads. Using fingers to handle prayer beads is used to help with saying prayers and mantras in various religions. Over thousands of years people have developed physical algorithms to code their mind. Fingering beads is synchronised with repeating prayers or mantras. Placing this motif into street culture, one can find a parallel with snacking on sunflower seeds. Just like beads, the seeds are handled with fingers. The movements of removing the seed from its husk and eating it are repetitive. Saying a prayer is replaced by chewing.

Hans-Otto Ojaste graduated from the Department of Jewellery and Blacksmithing at the Estonian Academy of Arts (BA 2012) and belongs to the artist duo Urmas-Ott. He has exhibited in group exhibitions both in Estonia and abroad.

The exhibition of Hans-Otto Ojaste can be viewed in a virtual window here.

REFLECTIONS
Katrin Veegen

Dirty sweets. That amazing place through your eyes. Again. The same crap every spring…

The exhibition REFLECTIONS brings together a small selection of recent works by Veegen. The roots of the stories stored in these pieces of jewellery go all the way to the experiential moments created and amplified by nature around us. Some moments are just one-time reflections, some moments are flickers that reproduce themselves. From year to year.

Katrin Veegen is a graduate of the Estonian Academy of Arts (2002) and has spent some time during her studies at the University of Central England (UCE). She has participated at numerous jewelry exhibitions in Estonia, Europe and the US. Katrin Veegen has been awarded the Ede Kurrel Prize, and her exhibition LAURELS was selected as the A-Gallery´s Best Exhibition of the Year in 2007. In 2017, Veegen established her own brand, under which she creates small-scale jewelry series and unique artisan jewellery from her studio at Hobusepea street.

PARTY
Kristiina Laurits

“Like food, jewellery has the ability to create the illusion of a full stomach. To be convinced, all you need to do is smell and taste. Pure, symbolic materials, like bread, have always been alluring. Their constantly changing qualities and abilities to change their angles of reflection have always been captivating. My jewellery juggles great narratives like faith, hope and love without shame. And, also suffering is part of this party”. – Kristiina Laurits

Kristiina Laurits studied in Estonian Academy of Arts, department of jewellery and blacksmithing (BA 1997, MA 2003). At the year 2000 she visited the jewellery department of the Escola Massana school in Barcelona. She has participated in more than 80 jewellery exhibitions in Europe, China, USA. Her works are in public collections in Estonia and US. Since 1999 she is a member of Estonian jewellery group Castle in the Air. In 2017 Laurits published the artist book THE HAPPY FEW. Jewellery and Objects. Currently, she works as a freelance artist in Tallinn.

ARTIST TALK: RAILI VINN (est)
ARTIST TALK: KATRIN VEEGEN (est)
ARTIST TALK: KRISTIINA LAURITS (est)