KETLI TIITSAR



Born:

1972 Rakvere, Estonia

Training / Education:

  • 1991-1995 Tallinn Art University(Estonian Academy of Arts), metal art department, BA (Cum Laude)
  • Since 1995-2000 (not completed) MA studies at Estonian Academy of Arts
  • 1996 National Collage of Art and Design, metal department, Oslo Norway
  • 1997 Gerrit Rietveld Academy, jewelery design department, Amsterdam Holland

Work Experience:

  • Since 2002 The Project Manager of Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design.
  • 1997 Member of management team for International metal art exhibition, seminar - Millenium II, Tallinn Estonia.
  • 1997-2000 Teaching assignments at EAA metal art department.
  • 1998-2002 Manager of the Gallery of the Estonian Academy of Arts
  • 1999 Curator and display designer of International Jewellery exhibition Mind Seduction, Applied Art Museum, Tallinn Estonia.
  • 2000 Co- curator and the head of jury (with group F.F.F.F.) for Tallinn Applied Art Triennial
  • 2000 "Possession", Tallinn Estonia.
  • 2000, 2001
  • Exhibition architect for the exhibition "Things in My Life", Estonian National Museums
  • Exhibition Hall, Tartu Estonia; Applied Art Museum, Tallinn Estonia.
  • Member of the jury for the Estonian Museums Contest "10 years of Estonian Independence".
  • Teaching jewelry assignment at Porvoo Art and Crafts school (with group F.F.F.F.) Finland
  • 2001-2003 Member of Estonian Cultural Endowment Committee of Fine and Applied Arts.
  • 2002
  • Member of the Estonian Artists' Association.
  • Member of the board of Estonian Centre of Contemporary Arts.
  • Display design for the exhibition of National Heritage Contest for children (with Kristi Paap).
  • Member of the jury for Estonian Annual Applied Art Exhibition "Competitive Bidding".
  • Teaching jewelry assignments at Old Town Secondary School Tallin Estonia
  • 2003
  • Supervising BA diploma work at the jewelry and blacksmithing department of Estonian Academy of Arts.
  • Co-curator and exhibition architect (with group F.F.F.F.) for the exhibition "NOTES, 3Dimensional, Estonian Art", Szentendre Art Mill, Hungary.
  • 2004
  • Co-curator of the exhibition of "Estonian Jewelry", Beijing Museum of Art&Craft, China.
  • Teaching workshop "Swop" at Massachusetts College of Arts, USA (with group F.F.F.F.)

Exhibitions (Solo & Group Shows):

  • 1994 "Millenium", AI Gallery, Tallinn Estonia; "4eme Biennale des Jeunes Talents", Charleroi Belgium.
  • 1996 "ArtGENDA" Young Artists Biennale, ksnehallen, Copenhagen Denmark;
  • "Subjects", Retretti Finland; "Personal Time - Art of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania 1945-96", (with group F.F.F.F.), Gallery Zacheta, Warsaw Poland, St.Petersburg Russia.
  • 1997 "E-Meedium",( with group F.F.F.F.), The City Gallery Tallinn, ERM Näitustemaja Tartu Estonia; "Estonian Jewellery", Usher Gallery, Lincoln England; "Millenium II", Rotermanns Salt Storage Tallinn Estonia;
  • "Interstanding", (with group F.F.F.F.), EAA Gallery Tallinn Estonia; "Videomedeia"(F.F.F.F.), Belgrade Yugoslavia.
  • 1998 "Private Views", (with group F.F.F.F.), Rotermann's Salt Storage, Tallinn Estonia; "Subjects - Narratives", The Museum of Applied Art, Helsinki Finland; "10 Schools Jewelry Show", Nijmegen Holland; " The Exhibition of Estonian Metal Artists Union" , Town Hall Gallery, Tallinn Estonia.
  • 1999 "Ornament is a Crime", City Centre, Stockholm Sweden; "Ferromenaalne", Art Hall Gallery, Tallinn Estonia; "Estonian and Danish Jewelry", Sammas Gallery Tallinn; "M.O.O.D.",(with group F.F.F.F) Rotermann's Salt Storage, Tallinn Estonia; "Mind Seduction", Applied Art Museum Tallinn; "Art Across the Lands", Fossekleive Berger Norway;
  • "Private Views II",(with group F.F.F.F.) Dunaujvaros Hungary; "Estonian and Lithuanian jewelry", Gallery Beeld&Aambeeld, Enchede Holland.
  • 2000 "Estonian and Danish Jewelry", Applied Art Museum, Copenhagen Denmark; "Estonian and Lithuanian Jewelry, Kunstpaviljoen, Nieuw-Roden, Holland; "Papuo‰alai/Jewellery", The Mizgiris' Artists' House, Nida, Lithuania.
  • 2001 "Ehted - Ékszerek - Schmuck - Jewelry", (with group F.F.F.F.), Péter-Pál Gallery Szentendre, Hungary; "Our Daily Bread" (with group F.F.F.F.), Gallery Johan S., Porvoo Finland, Town Hall Gallery, Turku Finland.
  • 2002 "Closing the Distance", (with group F.F.F.F.), Laênia Centre for Contemporary Art, Gdansk Poland; "Our Daily Bread", (with group F.F.F.F.), the Gallery of Hansa Bank, Tallinn Estonia; "Pentagram", (with group F.F.F.F.), Applied Art Museum, Tallinn Estonia; "Capital", (with group F.F.F.F.), Estonian Art Museum, Tallinn Estonia.
  • 2003 "Where is East and West", OXOXO Gallery, Baltimore USA; "Our Daily Bread", (with group F.F.F.F), Gallery HNOSS, Gothenburg Sweden; "KORU - International Exhibition of Contemporary Jewelry ", South Carelia Museum, Lappeenranta Finland.
  • 2004 "Estonian Jewelry", Beijing Museum of Art&Crafts, China: "Contact - International Jewelry Event", (with group F.F.F.F.) Mobilia Gallery, Bakalar Gallery, Boston Massachusetts USA.
  • SOFA Chicago, repr. by Charon Kransen Arts USA

Awards / Grants:

  • 1994 Grant by Estonian National Foundation
  • 1995 Grant by Estonian National Foundation (with group F.F.F.F.)
  • 1996 Grant by Rotalia Foundation; Scholarship by Tempus.
  • 2002 Annual Prize of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (F.F.F.F.)
  • Collections (Private & Museum):
  • Since 1991 Collection of Metal Art Department of Estonian Academy of Arts.
  • 1997, 1998 Acquisition Estonian Art Museum( with group F.F.F.F.).
  • Since 1997 Acquisition Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design.
  • 1999 Acquisition Collection of Svelvik Community Centre, Norway.
  • 2000 The Mizgiris' Artists' House, Nida Lithuania.
  • Since 2001 Acquisition Lasse Pahlmans private collection, Finland.
  • 2003 Acquisition Kadri Mälk private collection, Estonia.

Publications:

  • 1998 "Subjects Narratives", catalogue. Finland
  • 1998-1999 "Ornament as a Crime", catalogue. Estonia
  • 2000 "F.F.F.F." catalogue. Estonia
  • 2003 "Koru", catalogue. Finland

Artist Statement:

Portraits have fascinated me for some time but it is rather difficult for me to recall how it all started. They are telling vivid stories about people and the times they are coming from. Their individual, captivating features have burned traces into my memory and make me use them again and again. Sometimes in my work real face disappears and only oval silhouette remains to represent the gallery of faces I have met and memories I have experienced.