Jüri Arrak (1936 – 2022). Vanglad (1963 – 66)

Artist: Jüri Arrak, a renowned Estonian painter, graphic artist, metal and film artist. He completed his studies at the Tallinn Mining Institute in 1955 and later studied at the Estonian State Art Institute from 1961, graduating in 1966 with a specialization in metal art. As a student, he began to cultivate painting and graphics alongside metal art. His early paintings and stamps are flat, but later ones have become spatial. His narrative world is paradoxical, with a recurring mask character that takes on a new meaning depending on the context. His work is narrative and draws from cultural tradition. Arrak uses archetypes, alters and parodies revered myth interpretations, and offers new ones. He has been a member of the Artists’ Union since 1969 and belonged to the ANK’64 group. His largest metal composition, Baba-Yaga, was exhibited at the 1970 Osaka World Expo. The artwork is a linocut on paper, measuring 37 x 30 cm, with the artist’s initials, J.A, at the bottom right of the plate.