Urmas Viik "Personal Mythology"

Although the process of creating both of the series is entirely digital, the stylistic explorations lean towards the tradition of classical line work. An attentive viewer will also notice influences from comics, both in the characters and in the graphic style. The narrative characteristic of comics has, however, been deliberately toned down, leaving space for the viewer to piece together the story from fragments.

The title „Tribalfoxes” is a fusion of two words: „tribal” and „werefoxes.” The series plays with visual motifs as playfully and recklessly as it does with language. Clan, tribal and gang insignia are mixed together. The mythical werefox — a master spirit of transformation — leaves its mark on the entire series, blurring the boundaries between the exotic and the everyday, the archaic and the urban, the sensual and the comic. The visual style of the works is deliberately pared down, limited to black, white and orange.

The primary sources of inspiration for the „Megaflowers” series are 19th-century botanical engravings and medieval travel letters rich in fantastical imagery. During the creative process, the subject matter has transformed, fragmented and branched out in different directions, shifting its emphasis and arriving at a body of work that is difficult to define precisely. Here, one encounters pseudo-documentary records, enlarged formats and miniatures, all intermingling and flowing from edge to edge with sensual nuances.

Urmas Viik (b. 1961) is an Estonian artist, graphic artist and lecturer whose work encompasses printmaking, drawing, illustration, installation and digital art.

The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.