Category: Faculty of Design

Textiles 110: Open Lecture by Päivi Vaarula “Material and Content, Working Together in textile Art”

On April 29, at 5 p.m in room A501

Päivi Vaarula is a textile artist from Hämeenlinna, Finland. Her work is rooted in keen observation of everyday life, which she thoughtfully transforms into the visual language of textile art. Rather than seeking to entertain, she aims to create meaningful, thought-provoking works that often engage with present contemporary issues—particularly those related to the environment.

Vaarula works with local materials, traditional floor looms, and natural dyes, embracing sustainable practices in both concept and technique. For several years, she has been known for her distinctive three-dimensional woven surfaces, skillfully utilizing the expressive qualities of wool to bring depth and texture to her pieces.

Her art has been featured in over 70 group exhibitions and she has held 18 solo exhibitions, both in Finland and internationally. Alongside her artistic practice, Päivi Vaarula has worked as a full-time lecturer for more than 30 years. She has led lectures and workshops in numerous countries, including Finland, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Wales, Scotland, England, and Iceland.

Päivi Vaarula will talk about her textile journey and about her art.

Her solo exhibition “Entertainment” is also open at HOP gallery (Hobusepea tänav 2, Tallinn) until April 29th.

Textile 110 is a series of events celebrating the 110th anniversary of EKA’s textile design education, as part of which a series of open lectures focusing on textiles will be held, a series of publications will be published, and a selection of works from the EKA Museum’s textile collection can be seen throughout the year.

The lecture series opens up the spectrum of diverse opportunities in the field of textiles, both in design, industry, and creative practices, bringing out different roles and methods of creation in the field through various invited guests.

Supported by the Research Fund of EKA and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia

The exhibition “I Got a Great Lick of It Before It All Melted” is an exhibition by students of Graphic Design and Product Design at the Estonian Academy of Arts, which reflects on choices and experiences.

Opening 24 April 6 PM
ARS Art Factory – Studio 53 ja 98

Entrance from the courtyard

We all have a certain number of experiences in life, on which we build the next one. It is like an archive. You can’t ever experience anything without the latter.. And then we end up with those choices that we unconsciously and finally consciously make every day again and again. We are faced with something that is self-evident, like putting one foot in front of the other when walking or inhaling and exhaling.. we don’t notice these actions, but yet we do them constantly. Our choices shape our experiences and, when combined, our dance through life.

Artists: Riko Smirnov, Richard Vainola, Gabriella Tarja, Laura Sööt, Katriin Saulus, Anna Elisabeth Remmelg, Kenneth Pert, Hanna Milk, Anett Elis Männil, Brit Maripuu, Paula Maria Mengel, Stella Maris Liiva, Kelli Kütt, Helen Kärt Käbin, Martin Kislõi, Mark Kokotov, Teele Kiisk, Grittel Kastan, Greg Mikael Juhanson, Daria Titova, Johannes Adrik, Aries Puusepp, Rebecca Lopez,
Graphic Design: Mark Kokotov

Dance like this is the first of its kind for the students and they have been guided to this by Kristel Saan.

Supported and sponsored by Estonian Academy of Arts and Põhjala Brewery

Pablo Ignacio Hermansen Ulibarri – Visiting Lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts

Pablo Ignacio Hermansen Ulibarri is a designer with a PhD in Architecture and Urban Studies. He teaches and conducts research at the School of Design at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. His work focuses on co-design, interaction design, socio-natural ecosystems, photo-ethnography, performative politics in public space, more-than-human prototyping, and public services as public space.

He will be visiting the Estonian Academy of Arts from April 14–16 and will give a public lecture, “Counter Designing: Animals and Algorithms as Creative Agents,” on April 16 at 18:00 in room A501.

In January, EKA Interaction Design students visited his university in Chile to develop collaborative projects and academic exchange.

We look forward to seeing you at the opening of the CTC – Climate Truth Crisis exhibition on 11.04, at 14:00, in the open area in front of the Estonian Academy of Arts (Põhja pst 7).

The CTC – Climate Truth Crisis project deals with the spread of misinformation and understanding the climate crisis. The project involves educating young designers in these areas, creating a website that gathers information about the topic, publishing a podcast series, a dictionary and a collection of articles. In addition, students are visualizing the topic in various media. More information on the project website: https://www.climatetruthcrisis.eu/

The first workshop of the project will take place at the Estonian Academy of Arts on 7-11 April, during which students will write down concepts related to the topic, visualize them and on Friday, 11 April, open an exhibition in a public space in front of the EKA to introduce the topic to a wider audience.

The workshop is held in cooperation with the EKA Graphic Design Department and the Department of Semiotics of the University of Tartu. The students will be supervised by semioticians, conspiracy theory and disinformation researchers Mari-Liis Madisson and Daniel Tamm, Laura Vilbiks from the Estonian Foundation for Nature (ELF), and graphic designers Laura Merendi, Ott Kagovere and Kert Viiart. In addition to the supervisors, there will be students and lecturers from Bosnia, Spain, the Netherlands, England, Iceland and Lithuania.

In addition to the workshop, there will also be lectures open to the wider audience:

09.04, 16:00, A502 (EKA, Põhja pst 7)
Artist Kristina Õllek with a presentation Absorbing Hypoxic Water

10.04, 16:00, A300 (EKA, Põhja pst 7)
Graphic designer Maria Muuk with a presentation Graphic Design as a Degrowth Practice

The project will last for three years, 2025-2028, and workshops will be held at various partner universities:

Academy of Fine Arts Sarajevo,

Estonian Academy of Arts,

ELISAVA,

Iceland University of the Arts,

Royal Academy of Art, The Hague,

University of the Arts London,

Vilnius Academy of Arts

On March 27 at 4:30 p.m in room A501

Formed by Judit Eszter Kárpáti and Esteban de la Torre,  EJTECH [ˈeɪtɛk’] is an polydisciplinary artist duo working with hyperphysical interfaces, programmable matter, and augmented textiles as media to investigate sensorial and conceptual relationships between subject and object, aiming to rediscover networks of emerging structures and immanent causality within realist metamaterialism. 

Sound, space, light and time as material building blocks are paramount elements in their practice, analyzing the process of unfolding patterns between technology and the human body. Driven by material research, resulting in performative installations, multichannel sonic sculptures and dynamic surfaces. Influenced by the philosophy of New Materialism, Holonic Theory and Somaesthetics, EJTECH aims to provide tools for exploring liminality, thirdspace, and the elusive state of now.

Their work has been presented in galleries, festivals and exhibitions such as Japan Media Arts Festival, European Media Arts Festival, Sensorium Festival, Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum, Design Museum Holon, Ludwig Museum, Budapest Kunsthalle, LRRH Gallery, Collegium Hungaricum Berlin, Trafo House of Contemporary Arts, HayArt Center in Yerevan, Eastopics Gallery, Horizont Gallery, LOM Art Space, iii Instrument Inventors Initiative, Rewire among others.

EJTECH has created commissioned art pieces for cultural institutions and commercial brands such as DIOR, Blade Runner 2049, Dune: part two, Material ConneXion.

They regularly hold workshops and lectures on new media art and creative technology internationally. Founded the Soft Interfaces Lab in 2020 for further research in soft technology and material ecologies at MOME.

The artist duo currently works and lives in Budapest, Hungary.

Textile 110 is a series of events celebrating the 110th anniversary of EKA’s textile design education, as part of which a series of open lectures focusing on textiles will be held, a series of publications will be published, and a selection of works from the EKA Museum’s textile collection can be seen throughout the year.

The lecture series opens up the spectrum of diverse opportunities in the field of textiles, both in design, industry, and creative practices, bringing out different roles and methods of creation in the field through various invited guests.

Supported by the Research Fund of EKA and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia

FEAST. Shared moments. 

Piret Hirv, Eve Margus, Erle Nemvalts, Taavi Teevet

Between the done and the undone, between the cooling forge and the warming skin, we gather—not as revellers, not as mourners, but as those who wait, as those who celebrate the passing of time.

The feast is not yet consumed, yet neither is it untouched. Hands have shaped these fragments of time, folded process into form, cast intention into weight and curve. Nothing is whole, and yet everything is full.

Each piece contains its own becoming — the long roads walked, the hesitations, the moment a choice cleaved one path from another.

To wear is to bear witness, to become part of what came before and what is yet to follow. The place matters, the moment matters — the object is a whisper in the silence before speech, a moment before something is revealed.

This is the nature of all things held and passed on, touched and released. We do not own, we do not keep. We pause here, at the edge of time’s turning, knowing the feast is both here and elsewhere, both now and then. The weight of all things rests lightly, just for this moment, before the silence breaks and we move on.

We come together. Everything might change. We come together. Everything might stay the same.

Opening days & hours:

Opening 12.03 (Wednesday) 19:00
13.03-14.03 (Thursday-Friday) 12:00 -18:00
15.03 (Saturday) 12:00 – 16:00

Exhibition supporters:

Estonian Cultural Endowment, Estonian National Culture Foundation

3.03–07.03

Join us for Mental Health Week – take a break and prioritize your well-being!

Monday – Digi Detox (3.03)
Swap your phone for a piece of fruit for a set time of your choice and enjoy a screen-free moment. Plus, grab a wellness shot during lunch!

Tuesday – Quiz Night (4.03)

Test your knowledge in a fun quiz night!
https://fb.me/e/63DbEu5zp

Wednesday – Yoga Class (5.03, kl 18, A501)
Find your balance and unwind in a yoga class. Suitable for all levels!

Pre-registration required

Wednesday & Thursday – Sauna Evenings (5.–6.03)

Relax and unwind in the sauna after a long day.

Pre-registration required

Thursday – Scream Room (D600)
Release your stress in a safe and soundproof space!

And much more! Find more details on Instagram.

See you at Mental Health Week!

Dear EKA members!

I invite you all to the celebrations of the 107th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia on Friday, February 21st at 13.00 on the lobby steps.

The keynote speaker will be Signe Kivi, EKA’s Rector Emerita, textile artist and member of the Riigikogu. Among many other activities, Signe Kivi has a solo exhibition “Signature” running until the first Sunday in March at the Estonian Museum of Applied Arts and Design.

The event will end as tradition dictates with a shot of vodka, kissel and sprat sandwich.

Long live Estonia!

Mart Kalm
Rector

Pirjo Kääriäinen

19.02.2025

A-501 kell 16:30

Weaving textile design with material innovation

Pirjo Kääriäinen is a material enthusiast and textile specialist, working as an Associate Professor in Design and Materialities at the Aalto University, Finland. She operates between research and practice, and she is involved in several material research projects focusing on bio-based materials. Since 2011 she has been developing interdisciplinary CHEMARTS collaboration between the School of Arts, Design and Architecture (ARTS) and the School of Chemical Engineering (CHEM).  CHEMARTS is aiming to inspire Aalto University students and researchers to explore bio-based materials together, and to create new concepts for their sustainable use. Before her career in academia, Pirjo Kääriäinen worked over decade in the Finnish textile industry, and gained experience also as an entrepreneur and consultant for creative industries.

chemarts.aalto.fi
aalto.fi/en/aalto-university-bioinnovation-center

Supported by the Research Fund of EKA and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia

EKA Experimental Forms Exhibition “Foam Futures” at Viru Keskus

“Foam Futures” is an experimental fashion forms exhibition by the fashion, textile, and accessory design students of the Estonian Academy of Arts. Under the guidance of fashion designer Liisi Eesmaa and artist Flo Kasearu, futuristic foam plastic characters have come to life and will take over the Viru Keskus Atrium starting February 4th.

The exhibition “Foam Futures” at Viru Keskus Atrium invites visitors to reflect on the impact of human-made synthetic materials on the environment. This artistic display, created by students of Estonian Academy of Arts , focuses on the journey of foam plastic – from industrial waste to a nature-hostile “life form” that poisons the environment and gains strength, creating post-apocalyptic landscapes.

The pieces on display were created during a month-long workshop, where packaging industry waste was transformed into unique sculptures. The students manipulated materials using cutting, bubbling, and molding techniques to create both futuristic and organic shapes. Their inspiration was drawn from nature – plants, fungal networks, and strange life forms – reflecting the conflict between human creation and the natural world.

“This exhibition is raw energy and an endless amount of work hours, resulting in these haunting, bubbling, and foaming creations. Like a shadowy-black colony of beings, drawn from the students’ subconscious and rosy dreams,” commented one of the workshop mentors, fashion designer Liisi Eesmaa. “Our goal is to shock just enough and test the boundaries – how large and how colorful does packaging waste in the urban landscape need to be for people to clearly realize that the only way forward is through material recycling. We are thrilled to do this in collaboration with the emerging generation – the talented students of the Estonian Academy of Arts,” said Kristel Martis, Marketing and Communications Manager of Viru Keskus.

“Foam Futures” does not offer answers, but urges visitors to ask: what happens to the waste we create? Do we only notice it when it directly disrupts our lives, or does it silently blend into nature, causing irreversible harm?

The exhibition’s interactive elements – touch walls and sound experiences – take visitors to the heart of the foam plastic and its transformed environment, helping them better understand the impact and longevity of materials in nature.

“The students created incredibly juicy and voluminous accessories! The raw material was delightfully fascinating, and while the process was as always challenging and labor-intensive, the final transformations of the material were incredibly rewarding!” said mentor Flo Kasearu.

The exhibition “Foam Futures” will be open at the Viru Keskus Atrium from February 4th to February 19th.

Admission is free.

*The synthetic PE (polyethylene foam) material widely used in the exhibition is recyclable with modern technology. After its “artistic life,” it can be shredded and converted back into granules, 70% of which can be reused to create new materials.

Event Supporters: VIRU, EKA, Viva-color, Digiprint, Reval Kondiiter, ETTeam Baltic OÜ, AS Norma, Põhjala, WÕLU, Kadrioru Park

Artists: Allan Suomalainen, Anete Aurelie Aas, Halyna Yaroshenko, Hedi Leppik, Helen Tambla, Katriin Raudsepp, Kertu Seestrand, Linda Teemägi, Lucille Gonzalez, Maksim Kapustin, Mihhail Zaytsev, Oskar Tammäe, Pihla Alina Teder, Roosi Mändmaa, Sofia Robbe, Tereza Bláhová

Interior Architects: Airi Anderson, Brigita Praks, Carmen Pikknurm, Helena-Liisa Moks, Janet Kljuzin, Karl Oskar Palo, Kertu Bachmann, Madli Bulgarin, Raigo Tšetšin, Reigo Raal

Form Supervisors: Liisi Eesmaa, Flo Kasearu

Space Creation Supervisor: Annika Kaldoja

Production: Piret Puppart, Cristopher Siniväli, Marion Laev

Graphic Design: Anete Ots, Mariliis Tarja

Artistic Direction of Photos: Liisi Eesmaa

Photographer: Riina Varol

Photographer’s assistant: Karmel Kull

MUAH: Eliise Brigita Mõisamaa

Models: Merzeede (Agency Icon), Sam (E.M.A. Model Management)

Additional Information: piret.puppart@artun.ee

Event Facebook: Event – Vahu Vahel

Photo Link: To be added later