Tiiu Kirsipuu

Tiiu Kirsipuu
Tiiu Kirsipuu in 2020
Born (1957-10-29) October 29, 1957 (age 67)
Tartu, Estonia
NationalityEstonian
Alma materEstonian Academy of Arts
OccupationSculptor

Tiiu Kirsipuu (born October 29, 1957) is an Estonian sculptor.[1][2]

Kirsipuu's ice sculpture Vesidraakon (Water Dragon) in Tallinn (2012)

Kirsipuu's creations range from a coin measuring a few centimeters to a sculpture 8 meters (26 ft) long. Her works employ both realistic and abstract forms, and she uses many materials to realize her ideas. Among her best-known works is the Sculpture of Oscar Wilde and Eduard Vilde [et] in Tartu.[3][4]

Early life and education

Tiiu Kirsipuu was born in Tartu.[3][5] She attended Miina Härma Primary and Secondary School in Tartu from 1965 to 1975 and Tallinn Secondary School No. 46 [et] from 1975 to 1976. In 1983, she graduated from the Tallinn State Applied Art Institute of the ESSR (now the Estonian National Art Institute), majoring in sculpture.[3][5] Her instructors included the sculptor Kalju Reitel.[6]

Career

From 1983 to 1987, she supervised a sculpture class at the Nõmme Pioneers Palace,[3] from 1987 to 1993 she was a freelance artist,[3] and from 1993 to 2003 she worked as a lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts[3] and from 2003 to 2019 as a lecturer at Tallinn University. Since 2019, she has been working as a freelance artist in Tallinn.

She has held solo exhibitions in Estonia, Finland, Germany, Holland, France, China, Russia, and Belgium, and she has participated in numerous group exhibitions both in Estonia and abroad. Kirsipuu has taken part in many international sculpture symposiums and competitions, and she has created snow and ice sculptures. She has also designed several commemorative plaques, awards, and memorial sculptures.

Kirsipuu was the organizer of Sagadi International Wood Sculpture Symposium.[3][7]

She has been a member of the Estonian Artists' Association since 1987 and also belongs to the Estonian Sculptors' Association [et].[3]

In 2012, the film Tiiu Kirsipuu. Edu kood (Tiiu Kirsipuu. Code of Success) by Rein Raamat was released.[8]

Works

Kirsipuu has created granite plaques of the footprints of former Estonia Theater actors on the streets of Tallinn

Kirsipuu's best-known work is the sculpture of Sculpture of Oscar Wilde and Eduard Vilde [et] on Vallikraavi tänav (Moat Street) in Tartu—that is, a statue of the "two Wildes." In this work created in 1999, the bronze figures of the writers Eduard Vilde and Oscar Wilde sit side by side on a bench. A replica of this sculpture has also been made. To mark Estonia's accession to the European Union, Estonia and the city of Tartu donated a copy of the sculpture to the city of Galway in Ireland in 2004.[9]

She has created numerous sculptures and memorials displayed in public spaces. Examples include the Kaarnakivi (Raven's Stone [et]) memorial to the writer Juhan Jaik in Rõuge (1999), the monument to the 100th anniversary of the Estonia Theater in Tallinn (2006), the Johan Skytte Monument [et] on Toomemägi in Tartu (2006), and the sculpture of a seated musician at the Vanemuine Concert Hall in Tartu (2009). She also created the sculpture Igavene Üliõpilane Juulius [de] (The Eternal Student Juulius, 2008) located at the Tallinn University of Technology,[10][11] the Stone Bridge Model [et] (2003) located near the Arch Bridge in Tartu, the sculpture Tüdruk linnuga (Girl with a Bird) located in the University of Tartu Botanical Garden (1987; originally in front of the Tartu Student Club [et]),[12] and the Ants Sööt [et] Monument (2015) in Elva.[13]

Kirsipuu has designed several coins commissioned by the Bank of Estonia.[14] These are an EEK 15.65 gold commemorative coin [et] (1999), a silver commemorative coin for the anniversary of the University of Tartu (2001),[15] a silver commemorative coin for the 100th anniversary of the Estonia Theater (2006),[16] and a silver coin dedicated to the 2008 Summer Olympics (2008).[17]

She created a bronze bust of the poet Robert Burns that stands in the Kirsipuu Garden of the Scottish Club (Estonian: Šoti klubi) in Tallinn's Old Town (2005). Since January 2011, there has also been a cast bronze bust of Sean Connery created by Kirsipuu,[18][19] and since 2015 a memorial bust of Admiral Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair.[20] Kirsipuu also created the granite soldier sculpture on the Petseri County War of Independence Monument [et] erected in 2020 (a copy of the original sculpture by Roman Haavamägi).[21]

In 2019, the 6-meter (20 ft) metal sculpture Tallinn–Chengdu was completed in Chengdu, Tallinn's sister city.[22] Works for public spaces by Kirsipuu can also be found in Latvia, Austria, and Changchun, China. Since 2007, she has created several sculptures of well-known Estonian cultural figures such as Matti Milius,[14] Tõnu Aav, Andres Dvinjaninov [et],[14] Ülo Vilimaa, Mark Soosaar, Hardi Volmer,[14] Leonhard Lapin,[14] and Peeter Laurits.[14]

Awards and recognitions

  • Tüdruk linnuga (A Girl with a Bird) (1987) in the University of Tartu botanical garden
    Tüdruk linnuga (A Girl with a Bird) (1987) in the University of Tartu botanical garden
  • Kaarnakivi (Raven's Stone) in Rõuge (1999)
    Kaarnakivi (Raven's Stone) in Rõuge (1999)
  • Sculpture of Oscar Wilde and Eduard Vilde in Tartu (1999)
    Sculpture of Oscar Wilde and Eduard Vilde in Tartu (1999)
  • Stone Bridge Model in Tartu (2003)
    Stone Bridge Model in Tartu (2003)
  • Monument to the 100th anniversary of the Estonia Theater (2006)
    Monument to the 100th anniversary of the Estonia Theater (2006)
  • Johan Skytte Monument on Toomemägi (2007)
    Johan Skytte Monument on Toomemägi (2007)
  • Igavene Üliõpilane Juulius (The Eternal Student Juulius, 2008)
    Igavene Üliõpilane Juulius (The Eternal Student Juulius, 2008)
  • Bronze bust of Sean Connery (2011)
    Bronze bust of Sean Connery (2011)
  • Sculpture of Hardi Volmer (2015)
    Sculpture of Hardi Volmer (2015)
  • The metal sculpture Tallinn–Chengdu (2019)
    The metal sculpture Tallinn–Chengdu (2019)

References

  1. ^ Rohtmets, Indrek (2006). A Cultural Guide to Estonia: Travel Companion. Tallinn: Varrak. p. 245.
  2. ^ "Chipping Away: International Sculptors Carve Their Vision of the Wind". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Green Bay, WI. August 24, 2003. p. 21. Retrieved April 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Kaljuvee, Ardo (October 7, 2006). "Tiiu Kirsipuu skulptuurid sünnivad argimuredest priilt". Eesti Päevaleht. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  4. ^ Uibo, Ere (July 6, 2016). "Kehras avati Žanna Botvinkina ja tehasetöötajate ausammas". Sõnumitooja. No. 26. p. 3. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Huul, Jana (April 1, 2016). "Tiiu Kirsipuu isikunäitus Võrus Vana-Võromaa Kultuurikojas". Võru Linna Leht. No. 4. p. 15. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  6. ^ "Kalju Reitel 11. II 1921 – 10. IX 2004". Sirp. No. 34. September 17, 2004. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  7. ^ Mõttus, Kristiina (July 15, 2002). "Sagadi mõisaparki lisanduvad uued puuskulptuurid". Postimees. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  8. ^ "Tiiu Kirsipuu. Edu kood (2012)". Eesti Filmi Andmebaas. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  9. ^ Salupere, Malle (2006). Millenary Tartu: The City of Youth and Good Ideas. Tartu: Tartu University Press. p. 70.
  10. ^ Tooming, Urmas (September 16, 2008). "Igavene tudeng Juulius sai TTÜ juures väärilise asukoha". Postimees. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  11. ^ Rooste, Jürgen (June 21, 2012). "Tiiu Kirsipuu: Vajame harmooniat ja tasakaalu". Maaleht. No. 25. pp. 28–29. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  12. ^ Hanson, Raimu (April 30, 2009). "Kontserdimaja ees võttis istet pronksist kitarrist". Postimees. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  13. ^ "Elvas avati Ants Söödi mälestusmärk". ERR. August 8, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Allas, Elina (April 22, 2016). "Skulptor Tiiu Kirsipuu avab Vana-Võromaa kultuurikojas näituse". Külauudised. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  15. ^ "Eesti Pank emiteerib Tartu Ülikooli meenemündi". Eesti Pank. April 26, 2002. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  16. ^ "Ilmub Estonia teatri 100. aastapäevale pühendatud meenemünt". Eesti Pank. September 5, 2006. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  17. ^ "Eesti Pank emiteeris olümpiamängudele pühendatud meenemündi". Eesti Pank. July 25, 2008. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  18. ^ "Tallinn sai Sean Connery büsti". Eesti Päevaleht. January 28, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  19. ^ "Sean Connery pronksi valanud skulptor: suurim vastutus oli saada kätte tema olek". ERR. November 2, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  20. ^ "Admiral sir Edwin Sinclair Alexander-Sinclair'i büst 2015 graniit, pronks Šoti klubi, Tallinn". Tiiu Kirsipuu. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  21. ^ Kauksi, Ülle (June 2020). "Petserimaa Vabadussõa monument Verskahe – 80 aastaga peräst". Setomaa. No. 6. p. 3. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  22. ^ Raag, Toomas (October 8, 2019). "Hiinas Chengdus avati Eesti kunstniku skulptuur". Pealinn. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  23. ^ "Anton Starkopfi nimelise skulptuuri aastapreemia Jevgeni Zolotkole". Sirp. No. 18. May 4, 2012. p. 28. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  24. ^ "Kristjan Raud Art Award". Eesti Kunstnike Liit. Tallinn: Estonian Artists' Association. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  25. ^ Kuusk, Johanna-Kadri (January 29, 2019). "Teenetemärk 2019: Skulptor Tiiu Kirsipuu: ma ei teagi mille eest ma selle sain, olen terve elu tegus olnud". Õhtuleht. Retrieved April 10, 2024.