Aune Taamal. "Two Steps Inward..." Mar 1 to Apr 9, 2024. Saaremaa Art Studio, 2nd floor

"Two Steps Inward..."

This exhibition features textiles in the author's technique, most of which were recently created for a solo exhibition at the Hop gallery in Tallinn, inspired by the title of my graduation work 30 years ago at the EKA (then Art University) "Oh, snail, climb up Mount Fuji, but slowly, slowly..." I don't exactly remember what prompted me to use the haiku of the Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa at that time. Perhaps it was the contrast - the snail's smallness against the unnaturally large mountain. The snail's slow movement allows it to sense, to see the whole even in smaller things, to understand where it fits in time and space. This three-line haiku hides much wisdom - to navigate towards the highest goal we might imagine. Find your own Fuji and climb it as slowly as possible! Happiness and contentment lie not in achievement, but in the journey. What I consider important is the so-called state of flow, where I feel so engaged in the activity that everything else becomes insignificant. It is in this state that we are most effective and creative. The aim is to focus inward, to create a spaciousness within against the rush around us, to be present, to notice the essence of the moment, the space around it. In the creative process, I often do not have a definite idea of what I will depict; I simply open my heart and accept what the Universe wishes to express through me. Sometimes it feels not like I am doing the work, but the work is creating itself, evolving from journeys within my inner self, from the pattern of my being. In my works, I combine various visual symbols and codes from E. Enno, D. Kareva, Rumi's poetry lines, texts from the book of ancient teachings of the Chinese poet and philosopher Laozi, Tao Te Ching, also known as the Book of the Way of Virtue. This can be defined as the transformation of text into textile art. I have previously used texts as design elements in my works. Jokingly - whether such fondness for text comes from the similarity of the words text and textile, or whether this style of depiction is driven by the feeling that symbols and codes cannot convey meaning as powerfully as the power hidden in words. The works displayed are characterized by lightness, airiness, transparency, theatricality. They reflect the fragility of life, our fragile existence, containing various feelings and experiences, both moments of joy and scars. The works are connected by the theme of a Snail climbing its mountain of life, or me experiencing my original essence, the deeper content of life.

Aune Taamal (b. 1963) graduated from Tallinn Art University with a degree in textile art (1993). In her work, Taamal experiments with different textile materials and techniques, preferring transparent textures that allow for the creation of multi-layered spatial installations. Taamal's works have been exhibited in various exhibitions in Estonia and abroad. A. Taamal is a member of the Estonian Artists' Association, the Estonian Textile Artists' Association, and Studio 22. Alongside her artistic work, Taamal has been a gallerist at the Short Leg Gallery since 2012.

The exhibition opening will be followed by a workshop - the sewing machine as a creative tool.

The artist will demonstrate freehand embroidery on water-soluble fabric, as well as experimental techniques of fabric manipulation, melting, and cutting that she uses in her practice. The workshop is free of charge.

The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

For more information: Anne Tootmaa

Saaremaa Art Studio

info@kunstistuudio.ee

Tel: 5116740

www.kunstistuudio.ee

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