“Little Narratives” Eva Mustoneni & Lilli-Krõõt Repnau

On Friday, 10 October at 5 p.m., Eva Mustonen and Lilli-Krõõt Repnau will open their joint exhibition “Little Narratives” at the monumental gallery of the Tartu Art House.

What happens when words are lost? Do they stumble around the exhibition space and stare back from the pictures? How can we hold on to words? They search for meaning and walk from one object to another. A sewing machine, diary, blue shoe rack, goat's head, polar bear, blue drawings and ferns participate in the stillness. Everything is in a state of flux and it is sometimes difficult to find connections.

The exhibition project focuses on everyday moments, artistic practice and co-creation. Both artists have used different forms of storytelling in their work and have worked with words. How can we cope with sudden changes in life? Lilli: “Once, when I fell down as a child, the world turned blue and white. I could see everything, but I perceived my surroundings as blue and white. This strange state lasted for several weeks. I have noticed that from time to time I have returned to these blue drawings.” The idea for a joint exhibition began with an excerpt from Eva's diary, which tells the story of Lilli and the lion. Eva: Eva Mustonen explains: “After my stroke, I couldn’t speak, write or read. I started writing short stories. How is it that words come first and then they form sentences? And reading felt like reading in a foreign language. The words were familiar, but I didn’t know their meaning.”

How can we communicate with each other after aphasia? How to overcome everyday obstacles step by step and find joy in small things. This is an exhibition about the joint journey, friendship, searches and confusion of two artists.

Eva Mustonen (b. 1986) studied textile design at Tartu Art College (BA, 2010), textile art at University of Gothenburg (2012, MA) and at the department of sculpture and installation at the Estonian Academy of Arts (MA, 2018). She has participated in group exhibitions in Estonia, Sweden and Lithuania. In 2019 she was a resident at the Rupert Residency Program. In 2014 she was awarded with the Young Textile Artist Award and in 2017 the Eduard Wiiralt Stipend.

Lilli-Krõõt Repnau (b. 1982) has graduated from the department of graphic art at the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2005. In 2010 Repnau entered the Master’s programme in the department of graphic art and in 2012 in the department of animation. Repnau has taken additional courses in the department of video art at Lucerne School of Art and Design in Switzerland. In 2010, Lilli-Krõõt Repnau’s artwork in printmaking technique was awarded with Edmund Valtman Grant. Repnau is a member of Estonian Artists’ Association and the Association of Estonian Printmakers.

The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

The exhibition will be open until 9 November.

Additional information:
Maret Tamme
Producer of the Tartu Art House
E-post: produtsent@kunstimaja.ee
Tel: +372 5800 3882

www.kunstimaja.ee
facebook.com/kunstimaja

Tartu Art House (Vanemuise 26) is open Wed-Mon 12.00–18.00. All exhibitions are free of charge.
The exhibition activities in the Tartu Art House are supported by the Tartu city government and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.