49 Notable Alumni of Estonian Academy of Arts [Sorted List]

Jüri Arrak

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1936-2022 (aged 86)
Occupations: painter
Biography: Jüri Arrak was an Estonian painter, whose works with distinguished and recognizable style have won acclaim around the world.

Evelin Samuel

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1975-.. (age 49)
Occupations: singeractorwriter
Biography: Evelin Samuel is an Estonian singer, songwriter, musical theater performer, author of children's books and participant in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Heinz Valk

Born in: Russia
Years: 1936-.. (age 88)
Occupations: artistpoliticiancaricaturist
Biography: Heinz Valk is an Estonian artist, caricaturist and politician. He is credited for coining the term "Singing Revolution" (Estonian: laulev revolutsioon) and its slogan "One day, no matter what, we will win!" (Estonian: Ükskord me võidame niikuinii!) some of the most famous and prophetic sentences describing the Estonians' non-violent freedom fight in 1988–1991 against the then Soviet occupation regime, which eventually was indeed successful as Estonians "won" when the country restored its full independence in August 1991.

Hannes Võrno

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1969-.. (age 55)
Occupations: humoristfilm actorcaricaturisttelevision presenterpolitician
Biography: Hannes Võrno is an Estonian comedian and former politician and military officer.

Yoko Alender

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1979-.. (age 45)
Enrolled in the Estonian Academy of Arts: 1999-2010 graduated with master's degree in architecture
Occupations: politicianarchitect
Biography: Yoko Alender is an Estonian architect, civil servant and a politician. She is a member of the XIV Estonian Parliament the Riigikogu, and acts as chair for the Environment Committee. She was also a member of the XIII Estonian Parliament in 2015–19. Since 2014, she is a member of the liberal Reform Party. From 2013 to 2014, Alender belonged to conservative Pro Patria and Res Publica Union.

Piret Raud

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1971-.. (age 53)
Occupations: children's writerpainterwriterillustrator
Biography: Piret Raud is a contemporary Estonian author and illustrator.

Leonhard Lapin

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1947-2022 (aged 75)
Occupations: poetvisual artistgraphic artistarchitectart theorist
Biography: Leonhard Lapin, also known under the pseudonym Albert Trapeež, was an Estonian architect, artist, architecture historian, and poet.

Hardi Volmer

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1957-.. (age 67)
Occupations: caricaturistfilm directorpoliticiansingerscreenwriter
Biography: Hardi Volmer is an Estonian film director, puppet theatre set decorator and musician. Volmer is the singer in the Estonian punk rock band Singer Vinger.

Anu Raud

Born in: Russia
Years: 1943-.. (age 81)
Occupations: university teacherartist
Biography: Anu Raud is an Estonian textile artist and author.

Martin Saar

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1980-.. (age 44)
Occupations: painter
Biography: Martin Saar is an Estonian artist who currently lives and works between New York City and Tallinn, Estonia.

Tauno Kangro

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1966-.. (age 58)
Occupations: sculptor
Biography: Tauno Kangro is an Estonian sculptor.

Henno Käo

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1942-2004 (aged 62)
Occupations: children's writerpoet
Biography: Henno Käo was an Estonian children's writer, book illustrator, poet, and musician.

Kaido Kama

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1957-.. (age 67)
Occupations: politicianenvironmentalistNorwegian public servant
Biography: Kaido Kama is an Estonian politician, conservationist, and teacher. He served as the Minister of Justice of Estonia from 1992 to 1994, as well as Estonia's Minister of the Interior from 1994 to 1995.

Kadri Mälk

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1958-2023 (aged 65)
Enrolled in the Estonian Academy of Arts: Studied in 1986
Occupations: university teacherjewelry designerartist
Biography: Kadri Mälk was an Estonian artist and jewellery designer.

Liisi Ojamaa

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1972-2019 (aged 47)
Occupations: literary criticpoettranslatoreditor
Biography: Liisi Ojamaa was an Estonian poet, translator, literary critic and editor. She was already known for her debut collection "Endless July" (Estonian: "Lõputu juuli"), which was included in the collection "Poetry Cassette '90"; Elo Vee (Elo Viiding), Triin Soomets, Ats (Aidi Vallik) and Ruth Jyrjo also made their debut on the tape.

Signe Kivi

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1957-.. (age 67)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Signe Kivi is an Estonian textile artist and politician. She has been a member of the IX, X and XIV Riigikogu. From 1999 to 2002 she was the Minister of Culture.

Ivo Lill

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1953-2019 (aged 66)
Enrolled in the Estonian Academy of Arts: Studied in 1985
Occupations: artistglass artist
Biography: Ivo Lill was an Estonian glass artist.

Olev Subbi

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1930-2013 (aged 83)
Occupations: painterartistvisual artist
Biography: Olev Subbi was an Estonian artist.

Vilen Künnapu

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1948-.. (age 76)
Occupations: architect
Biography: Vilen Künnapu is one of the most important Estonian architects of the last three decades, among the first postmodernist theoreticians and architects in the 1970s.

Jaan Toomik

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1961-.. (age 63)
Occupations: video artistfilm directorscreenwriter
Biography: Jaan Toomik is an Estonian video artist, painter and award-winning filmmaker, often described as the most widely acknowledged Estonian contemporary artist on the international scene.

Tiit Pääsuke

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1941-.. (age 83)
Occupations: painter
Biography: Tiit Pääsuke is an Estonian painter.

Tanel Veenre

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1977-.. (age 47)
Occupations: fashion photographeruniversity teacherauthorjewelry designerdesigner
Biography: Tanel Veenre is Estonian jewellery artist and designer of brand Tanel Veenre.

Aapo Pukk

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1962-.. (age 62)
Occupations: artist
Biography: Aapo Pukk is an Estonian artist. He is mainly known by his portraits and posters. He graduated from Estonian Art Academy in 1980.

Peeter Mudist

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1942-2013 (aged 71)
Occupations: sculptorpainter
Biography: Peeter Mudist was an Estonian painter, sculptor, and print-maker whose works have received multiple awards. He was also a member of the Estonian Artists' Union.

Andrus Johani

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1906-1941 (aged 35)
Enrolled in the Estonian Academy of Arts: Studied in 1922-1926
Occupations: painterprintmaker
Biography: Andrus Johani was an Estonian painter.

Asko Künnap

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1971-.. (age 53)
Occupations: board game designermusicianpoetauthortranslator
Biography: Asko Künnap is an Estonian designer, writer, and artist.

Meeli Kõiva

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1960-.. (age 64)
Occupations: painter
Biography: Meeli Kõiva is an Estonian-American artist, curator, and art filmmaker who primarily works with architectural glass, light and multimedia. She is active in Finland, Belgium, and the United States, where she has produced a range of paintings, architectural lighting sculptures, multimedia installations, videos, and architectural stained glass. She pioneered a new era of architectural light-art space by bringing in the participation of light observers, focusing on "light motion via glass surfaces and esoteric meanings: limits of the mind and body"

Mall Nukke

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1964-.. (age 60)
Occupations: painter
Biography: Mall Nukke is an Estonian artist. A printmaker by training, she is primarily known for her paintings, collages and installations influenced by pop art. Mall Nukke emerged on the Estonian art scene in the early 1990s, her work at the period can be seen as commentary of nascent mass culture and consumer society in newly independent Estonia. Her early collages combined various cultural references and created new media characters based on real entertainers and public figures. Since the 2000s, Mall Nukke has concentrated on creating photo-manipulations and mixed media paintings inspired by Eastern Orthodox icon art.

Mare Vint

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1942-2020 (aged 78)
Occupations: paintergraphic artistprintmaker
Biography: Mare Vint was an Estonian graphic artist. In her work, Vint mostly depicted an "ideal landscape".

Ignar Fjuk

Years: 1953-.. (age 71)
Occupations: journalistpoliticianarchitect
Biography: Ignar Fjuk is an Estonian architect, politician and radio journalist, most notable for being one of the voters for the Estonian restoration of Independence.

Marko Mäetamm

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1965-.. (age 59)
Occupations: artist
Biography: Marko Mäetamm is an Estonian multimedia artist, working within the mediums of video, drawing and the internet.

Kaido Ole

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1963-.. (age 61)
Occupations: artist
Biography: Kaido Ole is an Estonian painter.

Aili Vint

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1941-.. (age 83)
Occupations: paintergraphic designer
Biography: Aili Vint is an Estonian graphic designer and painter.

Kiwa

Years: 1975-.. (age 49)
Occupations: composer
Biography: Kiwa is an Estonian artist, composer, curator, publisher and writer.

Alisa Jakobi

Born in: Estonia
Occupations: painteractor
Biography: Alisa Jakobi is an Estonian artist, actress and graphic designer.

Lola Liivat

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1928-.. (age 96)
Enrolled in the Estonian Academy of Arts: Studied in 1954
Occupations: painter
Biography: Lola Liivat is an Estonian abstract expressionist painter.

Rael Artel

Years: 1980-.. (age 44)
Occupations: curator
Biography: Rael Artel is an Estonian art writer, curator and gallerist. Since 2013, she has been the director of Tartu Art Museum in Estonia.

Indrek Allmann

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1972-.. (age 52)
Occupations: architect
Biography: Indrek Allmann is an Estonian architect and city planner.

Anu Kalm

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1960-.. (age 64)
Occupations: printmaker
Biography: Anu Kalm is an Estonian graphic artist and illustrator.

Regina Lukk-Toompere

Born in: Russia
Years: 1953-.. (age 71)
Occupations: illustrator
Biography: Regina Lukk-Toompere is an Estonian illustrator.

Peep Jänes

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1936-.. (age 88)
Occupations: architect
Biography: Peep Jänes is an Estonian architect.

Raivo Puusepp

Years: 1960-.. (age 64)
Occupations: architect
Biography: Raivo Puusepp is an Estonian architect.

Anatoli Ljutjuk

Born in: Ukraine
Years: 1947-.. (age 77)
Enrolled in the Estonian Academy of Arts: Studied in 1975
Occupations: social activist
Biography: Anatoli Kuzmich Ljutjuk is a Ukrainian-Estonian friar and artist of collaborative handmade books. He lives in Tallinn, Estonia, where he founded the city's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Ukrainian Cultural Center.

Mkrtich Mazmanian

Born in: Armenia
Years: 1944-.. (age 80)
Occupations: sculptor
Biography: Mkrtich Mazmanian is a well known Armenian figurative sculptor based in Beyrut, Lebanon.

Andres Koort

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1969-.. (age 55)
Occupations: painter
Biography: Andres Koort is an Estonian painter, scenographer, exhibit designer and curator. He is a member of the Estonian Artists' Association and member of the board of the Estonian Painters' Association since 2002 and has curated and designed some EPA's exhibitions.

Jaan Klõšeiko

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1939-2016 (aged 77)
Occupations: printerprintmakerartistgraphic artistphotographer
Biography: Jaan Klõšeiko was an Estonian printmaker and photographer.

Mai Šein

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1946-.. (age 78)
Occupations: architect
Biography: Mai Šein is an Estonian architect.

Kertu Sillaste

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1973-.. (age 51)
Occupations: artist
Biography: Kertu Sillaste is an Estonian textile artist, illustrator, and children's author.

Tiit Kaljundi

Born in: Estonia
Years: 1946-2008 (aged 62)
Occupations: architect
Biography: Tiit Kaljundi was an Estonian architect and a member of the Tallinn School. He became well known in the later part of the 1970s as a part of a new movement of Estonian architects that was led by Leonhard Lapin and Vilen Künnapu. The majority of the architects in this movement were graduates from the State Art Institute in the early 1970s. This group included Kaljundi, Avo-Himm Looveer, Ain Padrik, Jüri Okas, and Ignar Fjuk, as well as Veljo Kaasik and Toomas Rein from an older generation of architects. After the 1983 exhibition in the Tallinn Art Salon, they became known as the “Tallinn Ten" or the "Tallinn School," a broader term to describe the group used by the Finnish architect Markku Komonen.