EXHIBITION CLASSICS. EVI MARDNA

IN THE ESTONIAN MUSEUM OF APPLIED ART AND DESIGN

20.06.-30.08.2009

The creative work of Evi Mardna a long-time lector of ceramics of the Estonian Academy of Art who celebrated her 80th jubilee in the beginning of January this year has played a substantial role in the Estonian ceramics.

Throughout the long creative life her attention has been focused on figural plastics.

Her humorous ceramic sculptures sometimes verging on the grotesque obtained special sharpness and power of abstraction in the days of the Singing Revolution.

Evi Mardna was able to fashion her experiences and perceptions from the times of Soviet occupation into art that caused joy of recognition in her companions of fate.

The wittily apt titles of pieces added more spice to her works and laugh through tears provided for an opportunity to distance oneself from the past without anger.

It is really difficult to find another Estonian ceramist sporting such social nerve.

The exhibitions of 1990s ended with a representative display "Proletarians of All Countries, Escape” in 2004 in the Museum of Occupations.

The themes of Oskar Luts's novel "Kevade" plays an important role in the creative work of Evi Mardna. This novel has been with the artist starting from her diploma thesis in 1954 until 2000 as an exhibition in the Oskar Luts Parish Museum in Palamuse of works based on the stories of Toots from patterned bottles of "punsel oil” to bogeys was displayed. It was followed by a series of travelling exhibitions all over Estonia.

Evi Mardna is also a talented creator of industrial forms (although unfortunately she has not had much time to spare on it beside her sculptural endeavours). This is proven by her so-called blue-white kitchen set from 1978 with the wooden rolling-pin and jar lids that has become chrestomatic.

Evi Mardna is a talented artist whose works of figural ceramics should rather be called sculptures.


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