This spring, the group exhibition MULTILAYERED presents the work of the recipients of the Estonian Textile Artists’ Union annual awards, selected by a jury composed of representatives from various creative fields. Spread throughout the different rooms of the gallery, the exhibition forms a diverse and contrasting composition that highlights the wide-ranging possibilities of textile art and reflects the distinct styles of artists from different generations.
The exhibition opens with Young Textile Artist of the Year Kristina Oja, who showcases a knitwear collection inspired by her family history and its developments. The Small Hall features the colorful tapestry work of Lifetime Achievement Award winner Ludmilla Swarczewskaja. In the Main Hall, the airy and multilayered works of Textile Artist of the Year 2024 Aune Taamal engage in dialogue with the white tapestry of Special Jury Prize recipient Ilja Uhlinov.
Textile Artist of the Year, Aune Taamal (b. 1963), received the award for her diverse exhibition activity in 2024. The artist experiments with a variety of textile materials and techniques, favoring transparent textures that enable the creation of multilayered spatial installations. She graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) in textile art in 1993 and is a member of the Estonian Artists’ Association, Estonian Textile Artists’ Union, and Studio 22. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions in Estonia and abroad over the years. Alongside her artistic practice, Aune Taamal has been the curator of the Lühikese Jala Gallery (Tallinn) since 2012.
Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Ludmilla Swarczewskaja (b. 1949) is a distinctly individual textile artist who has remained consistently active. Since 1998, she has been a member of both the Estonian Artists’ Association and the Estonian Textile Artists’ Association. She studied at the Kalinin School of Applied Arts in Moscow and at the Estonian State Art Institute (EKA), specializing in textile and fashion. Swarczewskaja is a persistent and tireless creator who never misses an opportunity to exhibit her work. Her creations transform reflections on nature, music, poetry, and human relationships into abstract tapestries, often accompanied by collages. She has participated in dozens of exhibitions in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland, Italy, and Russia. Her works are found in private collections both in Estonia and abroad, as well as in the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design and the Estonian Actors’ Union. Her monumental textile panel "Athletics" decorates the Pärnu Sports Hall.
Young Textile Artist of the Year 2024, Kristina Oja (b. 1999), was recognized for her passionate approach to textile art and machine knitting. She studied textile design at the Estonian Academy of Arts and fashion styling at the Tallinn School of Industrial Education, further enhancing her skills at the Escola d'Art i Superior de Disseny de València in Spain. Oja has taken part in several group exhibitions and the ERKI Fashion Show, and has received the Mari Adamson Scholarship for the best textile student.
The Textile Work of the Year award went to Ilja Uhlinov (b. 1991) for his tapestry “Void”, which was exhibited at the Estonian Textile Artists’ Union’s annual exhibition “The Colour of the Year is Diverse” at the Museum of New Art in Pärnu.
Uhlinov graduated from the Pallas University of Applied Sciences in 2017 with a degree in textile arts and has dedicated recent years to tapestry creation. He explains: "This image came to me in a dream: a large, clean, snow-white sheet of paper. It was flawless and completely perfect, like boundless, unconditional trust. It literally radiated light and love, harmony, and the unity of all things."
More information about the participating artists and other awards can be found here: https://www.tekstiilikunst.ee/tekstiilipreemiad-2024
The exhibition is organized by the Estonian Textile Artists’ Union in collaboration with the Võrumaa Museum Gallery.
Exhibition design: Madis Liplap
Graphic design: Arabella Roosi
Curator: Aet Ollisaar
Supported by the Estonian Cultural Endowment.
Võrumaa Museum
Katariina alley 11, Võru
Wed–Sun 10:00 – 18:00