Aivar Juhanson

21.09 – 4.11.2018

“Aivar, his pencil and reins”

This two-part exhibition takes a look at the works of Aivar Juhanson, and introduces a unique project.

Aivar Juhanson’s style is familiar to all who have ever seen and read the weekly newspaper Eesti Ekspress, in which illustrations to the profile feature article are always by this graphic artist. The portraits are nuanced and relatively realistic, and somewhat caricature-like due to the slightly emphasised form and the use of symbols characteristic to the portrayed person. The displayed works have been selected from among about 2000 elaborate portraits created by Aivar Juhanson for Eesti Ekspress over the past 26 years. His drawings have undoubtedly shaped the image of Eesti Ekspress and are, for their topicality, a worthwhile visual material for history-lovers. Juhanson’s work won high recognition a few years ago, when his caricature of the Russian patriarch Kirill, published in Eesti Ekspress, was marked out at the prestigious World Press Cartoon competition.

The second part of the exhibition shows items, photos, film and drawings associated with the project conducted by the journalist Madis Jürgen and Aivar Juhanson “Across Estonia on Horseback”. Together with Madis Jürgen, who originally invited Aivar Juhanson to work for Eesti Ekspress, they rode on horses through Estonia for the third time this summer. The exhibition is about the meetings as well as the impressions and new information gained from the travels.

Mari Vallikivi