Kristi Kongi (1985) is an Estonian artist, living in Tallinn, Estonia who focuses on color, light, space, and text in her works —
paintings that take the form of installations created for specific settings.
Her works, often reconstructions of specific places, are closely engaged with the mechanisms of emotional memory,
offering an opportunity for experiencing the color and light of bygone situations.
Education:
2008-2011 Estonian Academy of Arts, Fine Arts department – painting, Master’s degree in Art.
2004-2008 Tartu Art College, painting department, Bachelor Degree
2007 Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Istitute of Fine Arts, Lahti, Finland.
Work:
2017 – … the Head in the Chair of Painting, Associate Professor in the Chair of Painting, in the Faculty of Fine Arts, in Estonian Academy of Arts.
Prizes and Scholarships:
2022- 2024 Artists’ and writers’ wage grant, Republic of Estonia Ministry of Culture
2022 Annual award from Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Visual and Applied Arts.
2020 G-gallery prize
2017 Konrad Mägi prize
2016 Nominee of The Köler Prize
2013 Sadolin Art Prize
2011 Young Artist Prize
Selected solo-and group exhibitions:
2023 “The Past, the Present, the Future. It is like Indigo, Lilac, and Magenta.” At Galeria Karen Huber, Mexico City, Mexico.
2023 “Emotional Landscapes.” Curated by Šelda Pukite. At ARKA gallery, Vilnius, Lithuania.
2023 “The Death Began in Autumn”. Curated by Leslie Moody Castro. At Casa Lü project space. Mexico-City, Mexico.
2023 “Colours reminded me that life can get so interesting that we forget to be afraid.” At roam, Berlin.
2022 “To Sense the Light, You Must Close Your Eyes” together with Mare Vint. Curated by Peeter Talvistu. At Tartu Art House. Tartu, Estonia.
2021-22 “…And Other Shades of Light.” With Krista Mölder, curated by Siim Preiman, at Tallinn Art Hall.
2021 “Imaginary Creatures at the Twilight 2”, Rüki Gallery, Viljandi, Estonia
2021 “Shimmering Star Magenta. Was it a Dream or was it Real”?, Kogo Gallery, Tartu, Estonia.
2020-21 “Let me dream once more” curated by Kristi Kongi, at Narva Museum Art Gallery, Narva, Estonia.
2020-21 “Frenetic standstill” curated by Ilaria Bonacossa and Valerio Del Baglivo, GAM, Palazzo Madama, Torino, Italy.
2020 “I see a glow from the seabed. It has no end, no beginning. And the color changes in every moment.” Site-specific installation At Kordon residency Container Gallery Kärdla, Hiiumaa, Estonia.
2019 “Lines Composed During A Tour “, curator Sean Gaulager, Co-Lab Projects, Austin, Texas, USA.
2019 “Art Museum of Estonia 100. Open Collections_ The Artist Takes the Floor”, curator Eha Komissarov, Kumu Art Museum, Tallinn, Estonia.
2019-20 “Human as a plant” At Haapsalu City Gallery, Haapsalu, Estonia
2018 “Secret whistle in the forest” together with Mari-Leen Kiipli, Kogo Gallery, Tartu
2018 “Mapping the jungle” curator Leslie Moody Castro, Karen Huber Gallery, Mexico-City
2018 “Kristi Kongi in dialogue with Kasper Bosmans. Alchemists, Artists, Cleaners and Others” curator Kati Ilves. KUMU Art Museum, Tallinn.