The exhibition was selected as the best Vault exhibition of 2024.
Mourning Cloak Butterfly wakes up early from its winter slumber, sleeps deep through midsummer, and remains awake for a long time in autumn.
Already in early childhood Ülle encountered the miraculous Mourning Cloak Butterfly.
The elderly paid attention to the butterfly as well.
The child could not yet grasp the meaning of its name, as only a delicate shadow was cast by it on the winged beauty.
Emotions and knowledge attached with time passing.
Gratitude to the dear departed ones remains.
The dark side of earthly beings, their envy and greed, are grief-worthy, not the dread before the unknown light. In this world, the Mourning Cloak Butterfly crosses forests and seas, luxuriates in the sun on a blooming meadow, and sucks up the juice and time given to it. With the Universe’s kind permission, journeys through the warmth of summer and the cold winter. Circling in a never ending pursuit of happiness.
The sun caresses people because they are so beautiful and kind.
Dear companions choose between light and shadow.
With the arrival of winter, the Milky Way in the sky, one can travel along it.
And people are so beautiful and kind… Hope remains.
ÜLLE VOOSALU
Ülle Voosalu’s exhibition MOURNING CLOAK BUTTERFLY celebrates the 70th anniversary of the jewelry artist from Tartu, Estonia. Voosalu graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts from the metalworking department in 1980 and soon after began exhibiting in 1981. She has worked as an artist at Tartu ARS and as a lecturer at Pallas University of Applied Sciences. Since 2001, she has been working as a freelance jewelry artist. Voosalu is a member of the Estonian Artists’ Association. The artist creates jewelry in an outstanding author’s technique, combining silver wire and gemstones into variously structured clusters. Her jewelry embodies wild joy of life and love for the beauty of nature. She crafts her pieces with the best wishes for the wearer.
The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.
