TEXTILE AWARDS 2024

On March 17, a jury composed of representatives from various creative fields gathered at the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design to select the laureates of the Estonian Textile Artists’ Association Annual Awards. Recognitions were given in three categories: Textile Artist of the Year, Young Textile Artist of the Year, and Textile Act of the Year. In addition, the jury decided to present a Lifetime Achievement Award and two Special Awards.

Aune Taamal

Aune Taamal (b. 1963) received the award for her exhibition activities in 2024. Her solo exhibitions included “The Snail Climbing Mount Fuji, Slowly...” at HOP Gallery and “Two Steps Inward...” at the Saaremaa Art Studio. She also participated in the international exhibition “Verba Creant” in Barberino di Mugello, Italy; the group exhibition “In Five Ways” at the Ugala Theatre in Viljandi (curated by Reet Talimaa); and the Estonian Textile Artists’ Association’s annual exhibition “The Colour of the Year is Diverse” at the Museum of New Art in Pärnu.

Taamal experiments with a variety of textile materials and techniques, favouring transparent textures that allow her to create multilayered spatial installations. She graduated in textile art from the Estonian Academy of Arts (then Tallinn Art University) in 1993. Aune Taamal is a member of the Estonian Artists’ Association, the Estonian Textile Artists’ Association, and Studio 22. Alongside her artistic practice, she has worked as a gallerist at Lühikese Jala Gallery since 2012.

Kristina Oja

The Young Textile Artist of the Year 2024 is Kristina Oja (b. 1999), who was awarded for her passionate approach to textile art and machine knitting. She received recognition for her knitting project “Broken Line” (supervised by Imbi Armas), her knitwear collection “I Was Lost”—inspired by family history and ancestral photographs (supervised by Liisa Kanemägi and Kirke Talu)—as well as its further development and the project “The Other.”

Kristina Oja has studied textile design at the Estonian Academy of Arts and tailoring/styling at the Tallinn School of Industrial Education, and has furthered her studies at the Escola d'Art i Superior de Disseny de València in Spain. She has participated in several group exhibitions and the ERKI Fashion Show. In 2024, she was awarded the Mari Adamson Scholarship for the best textile student.

Kristina Oja has described her creative process as follows:
"If someone asks what I’m doing today, I’ll probably say I’m knitting. Knitting is a tool that guides me through the uncharted territories of existence."

Ave Matsin – Leading the Viljandi Heritage Festival

Ave Matsin (b. 1973) was awarded the Textile Act of the Year for leading the Viljandi Heritage Festival.
The festival, titled “Heritage Heals”, took place in October 2024 under the initiative of the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy and under the auspices of the UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art. The festival programme included an international conference, workshops, and a heritage celebration, all of which highlighted aspects of intangible cultural heritage and offered diverse perspectives on traditional knowledge and skills.

The Viljandi Heritage Festival was also part of the official programme of Tartu 2024 – European Capital of Culture. As part of the event, the international conference “Heritage in the Service of Sustainable Communities” was held, along with eight international masterclasses in heritage, crafts, and traditional music. The festival culminated in a vibrant celebration of heritage, featuring guests from UNESCO Creative Cities of Crafts and Folk Art from around the world.

Born on July 15, 1949, in North Ossetia, Swarczewskaja studied at the Kalinin Art and Industrial School in Moscow from 1968 to 1972, and later at the Estonian State Art Institute from 1973 to 1978, specializing in textile and fashion design. Her work is inspired by nature, music, poetry, and human relationships, which she translates into abstract color compositions. While tapestry is her primary medium, she often exhibits collage-based compositions alongside her woven works.

Swarczewskaja has participated in dozens of exhibitions in Estonia, as well as in Lithuania, Poland, Finland, Italy, and Russia. Her artworks are held in private collections both in Estonia and abroad, and also in the collections of the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design and the Estonian Actors' Union. Her monumental textile mural “Athletics” adorns the Pärnu Sports Hall.

A tireless and dedicated creator, Swarczewskaja never misses an opportunity to exhibit her work. This year, in celebration of her 75th birthday, she opened a solo exhibition titled “Connecting Threads” at Hopner House in Tallinn and also held a solo show at the Pärnu City Gallery. Her works are currently featured in the Estonian Textile Artists’ Association’s annual exhibition “The Colour of the Year is Multicolour” (curated by Aet Ollisaar) at the Museum of New Art in Pärnu, and in the association’s 30th anniversary exhibition “(Prize)Worthy” (curated by Helen Adamson and Triin Jerlei).

From 1978 to 1994, Ludmilla Swarczewskaja worked as an artist at the Pärnu Flax Factory. Between 1992 and 1993, she was a production consultant at the Latvian National Opera. She taught art at the Pärnu Sütevaka School of Humanities from 1995 to 1998, and worked as an artist at AS Vikero Tekstiil (1998–1999) and Krenholm Holding Ltd (1999–2000). She also taught composition at Euro University (1999–2001) and LEX University (1997–2002), and supervised diploma theses at the Estonian Academy of Arts Applied Arts College (2002–2004). Since 2005, she has worked as a freelance artist.

EXHIBITION AT PÄRNU CITY GALLERY

“For me, art is a revelation. It is a process of creation in which the artist becomes a mediator between God and the work. It is also an impulse that leaves an imprint in our minds—in the form of images, symbols, words, or actions. Every artist chooses their own method of expression and manifestation. This image came to me in a dream: a large, clean, snow-white sheet of paper. It was flawless and completely perfect—like boundless, unconditional trust. It literally radiated light and love, harmony, and the unity of all things.”

George P. Kent ja
Velida Kent

Textile Friend of the Year recognition was awarded to George P. Kent and Velida Kent.

In 2024, former U.S. Ambassador to Estonia George P. Kent initiated a close collaboration with the Estonian Textile Artists’ Association, resulting in a series of meetings and events. This marks the first time that an ambassador has initiated such an extensive partnership with a professional textile association.

Also noteworthy is the gingerbread model of Heimtali, crafted by Mrs. Velida Kent, which depicted Anu Raud’s home buildings and the Heimtali Centre. The design incorporated many of Anu Raud’s most iconic tapestries. Thanks to this creative gesture, Anu Raud’s work—and Estonian textile art more broadly—has reached a much wider and more diverse audience, both in Estonia and internationally.