Urmas Pedanik. Through the glass

Urmas Pedanik, who in the first decade of this century has once again started to exhibit, became a classic of Estonian hyperrealism with his paintings of the 1970s, even before he had completed his studies at the art academy. Together with his fellow students, designers and architects, Ando Keskküla, Andres Tolts, Leonhard Lapin and Jüri Okas, they entered the world of “pure art” with the attitude of outsiders and remained there as innovators seeking synchronicity with the rest of the world – each in their own way. With the “coldness” of rational pragmatism or stylish aesthetics or impassioned social criticism they each had a restless romantic spirit endeavouring not to be overcome by the unsettled and changing times.

Urmas Pedanik acted somewhat differently – as an artist he stepped out from the wheel of constantly changing art scene for more than two decades. When he started again it was to continue from where he left. 

With the wisdom of a silent observer he declared modestly albeit no less romantically: “I am no theorist and actually I have made very few pictures and they are basically the same. Simply, because I like it.” 

Urmas Pedanik (1949) graduated from the State Art Institute in industrial design. His first solo exhibition was in 1981 in the Art Hall Gallery. Since then, until 2019 he has had a total of six solo exhibitions.

Caption: Urmas Pedanik, painting, 2019.