About
Glass in my works signifies the world between opaque and translucent, visible and invisible, material and immaterial, real and unreal. It is a world of shady shapes, exciting and elusive.
About
I studied glass art in Estonian Academy of Arts in 1990–1996. I have been working for the Department of Glass Art at the Estonian Academy of Arts as a teacher and technician, from 2003 to 2017 as an associate professor. I have taken part in several exhibitions, conferences, symposiums and workshops since 1994 both in Estonia and abroad. I have earned attention at several international contests of glass art. My works are owned by several institutions and collectors. I also received the honourable nomination for the title of “Recognized Glass Artist of Estonia 2004-2005”, “Recognized Glass Artist of Estonia 2018-2019” and the annual Kristjan Raud Prize on 2007 and on 2023. Today I work as a freelancer and share the studio with colleagues at Klaasiklubi (Glass Club) in Tallinn.
„Tiina Sarapu is a glass artist who uses glass as a material for sculpural and installative work, on a conceptual level as a step between visible and invisible worlds. The starting point for her work is often sheet glass, which by seemingly simple bending is transformed into sculptural object. Edges and surfaces, self-sufficient, yet depending of each other, create an intricate multi-layered reality. In Sarapu’s work spatial layers of glass are often metaphorically perceivable as layers of time.” (M. Lobjakas)
Tiina Sarapu – glass artist with a bold vision, her installations and sculptures place glass in the role of clearly organised space or emptiness, not merely reducing it to its material characteristics. (Cultural Endowment of Estonia)
CV
Born November 16, 1971 in Pärnu County, Estonia
Education:
1995–1996 Estonian Academy of Arts, post-graduate (MA) studies
1990–1994 Tallinn Art University (now: Estonian Academy of Arts), speciality of Glass Art
Employment:
2017–… freelancer
2021–2023 Artist laureate salary
2003–2017 Estonian Academy of Arts, associate professor of the Department of Glass Art
1998–2003 Glass studio “Ideeklaas”, founding member, artist
1996–2003 Estonian Academy of Arts, teacher at the Department of Glass Art
Selected solo (duo, trio) exhibitions:
2023 “Dust” (with J. Pociute, cur K. Paulus), Gallery Meno Parkas, Kaunas, Lithuania
2022 “Dust” (with J. Pociute, cur K. Paulus), Tartu Art House Large Gallery, Tartu, Estonia
2022 “Black Mirror” (with S-L. Eelma), Draakon Gallery, Tallinn
2021 “Room of Secrets”, Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, Staircase gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2019 “Attached” (with M. Sarapu), Pärnu City Gallery Artists House, Pärnu, Estonia
2019 “Case Study 2”, Tartu Art House Monumental Gallery, Tartu, Estonia
2017 “In Transparent Language” (with E. Käsper), Rakvere Theatre Gallery, Rakvere, Estonia
2017 “Case Study”, Hop Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2017 “These weeks I was away”, Robert’s Coffee, Tallinn, Estonia (part of Glass Art in Café. Time Difference)
2017 “Long Field”, Estonian Agricultural Museum, Ülenurme, Tartu County, Estonia
2012 “Improvisation”, House of Blackheads, St. Olaf’s Guild Hall, Tallinn, Estonia
2012 “Heaven on the Earth”, Studio Museum of A. Adamson, Paldiski, Estonia
2011 “Meetings in the Garden” (with M. Sarapu, K. Sein and R. Paju), Instituto Camoes, Lisboa, Portugal
2010 “Tallinn: Cores, Imagens, Sentimentos” (with M. Sarapu and K. Sein),
Casa d’Achada, Lisboa, Portugal
2010 “A Moment of Balance” (with M. Saare, E. Käsper), Tartu Art Museum, Tartu, Estonia
2009 “Flexible Layers”, Tam Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2007 “The Light and Silence in Sound”, Hop Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2007 Series of exhibitions “Berlin Glass Night”, Glasbrücke Berlin, Germany
2007 “Heaven on the Earth”, The Island of Manilaid, Estonia
2006 “Silent Voices” (with M. Saare), Tallinn Art Hall Gallery, Estonia
2005 “Magical Areas” (with M. Saare, A. Riemer, L. Boudens), ArtoNivo Gallery, Brygge, Belgium
2005 “Fragile Moment” (with E. Käsper), Tallinn, Estonia
2004 “EaTable Glass”, Museo Revoltella, Trieste; Ca Rezzonico, Venice, Italy
2003 “Jää, jää!” (with F. Jüssi, K. Sein, M. Sarapu), City Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
1999 “Fall-Fly” (with M. Sarapu), Slagelse, Denmark
1998 “The Bridge” (with I. Luisk), Sammas Gallery, Tallinn
1996 “3 times 3 times”, Aatrium Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
1995 “Unspeakable” (with K. Kullamaa, I. Luisk), Kastellaanimaja Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
Selected group exhibitions:
2024 “Legendary Times”, Kondas Centre, Viljandi, Estonia
2023 “GENIUS LOCI IV: Life. 1628. 1928. 2023”, Reigi parsonage, Hiiumaa Island, Estonia
2023 Pop-up show by the Estonian Glass Artists’ Union for a group of glass collectors at Habatat Galleries, Naked Island, Tallinn, Estonia
2023 “Spring Exhibition 2023”, Lasnamäe Pavilion, Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia
2023 “Gravur on Tour”, LWL-Museum Glashütte Gernheim, Petershagen, Germany
2022 “Melting Borders”, Wroclaw Central Train Station, Session Room, Wroclaw, Poland
2022 “Coburg Prize for Contemporary Glass 2022”, European Museum of Modern Glass, Veste Coburg, Germany
2022 “Color – RED 2.0”, Kohtla-Järve Oil Shale Museum’s White Hall, Kohtla-Järve, Estonia
2022 “Not only about hedonism”, BAM – Bubbles, Art and Music Festival, Independent Dance Stage, Tallinn, Estonia
2022 “Glass Makers: The History of the Estonian Glass Industry”, History Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
2021 “European Glass Context 2021”, Bornholm Art Museum, Bornholm, Denmark
2020 “The New Reality”, “Estonia / Can you feel it?”, Virtual Design Destination by Adorno, London Design Festival, virtualdesigndestination.com
2020 “Colour – RED”, ARS Art Factory Project Space, Tallinn
2020 “Clear Space”, Vitrum Festival 2020, Kaunas District Museum, Kaunas, Lithuania
2020 “Back On Tour – Riihimäki to Coburg 2019–2020. Modern European glass engraving”, European Museum of Modern Glass, Rödental, Germany
2019 “Back on Tour – Riihimäki to Coburg 2019–2020. Modern European glass engraving”, Riihimäki, Finland
2019 “Resonants”, Vana-Võromaa Museum and Art Gallery, Võru, Estonia
2018 “Estonian glass design”, Okapi Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2018 “Tuli klaas”, Museum of Hiiumaa, Kärdla, Estonia
2017 “Cold-Hot”, Tallinn Creative Hub, Estonia
2017 “Umwelt/Omailm”, Adamson-Eric Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
2016 “2D →”, Museum of New Art, Pärnu, Estonia; Center of Contemporary Art, Rapla, Estonia
2016 “Civilization 2: The Trousers of Time”, Tallinn Seaplane Harbour aquarium, Estonia
2016 “Concord”, Haus Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2016 “Gravur on Tour”, Glass Museum, Kamenický Šenov, Czech Republic; National Library, Tallinn, Estonia; The Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland; Frauenau Glass Museum, Germany
2015 “Gravur on Tour”, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge, UK; Glazenhuis Museum, Lommel, Belgium; Galerie De Aventurijn, Epe, Netherlands; Glasmuseum, Rheinbach, Germany
2015 “Pod jedlickou”, ADP Gallery, Bratislava, Slovakia
2015 “Moment”, Järvakandi, Rapla County, Estonia
2014 “Born/Made”, Tartu Art House, Tartu, Estonia
2014 “Square 7”, Aukso Pjuvis Gallery, Kaunas, Lithuania
2014 “ZU GAST: ESTLAND”, Glassmuseum Alter Hof Herding, Coefeld, Germany
2014 “2D →” , Arka Gallery, Vilnius, Lithuania; V. Grybas Museum, Jurbarkas, Lithuania; Museum of New Art, Pärnu, Estonia; Rietumu Bank Gallery, Riga, Latvia
2014 “Vitrum Balticum VI. Optical Outlook”, M. K.Ciurlionis National Museum of Art, Aukso Pjuvis Gallery, Kaunas, Lithuania
2014 “Concord”, Haus Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2013 “17 views to Estonian Contemporary Applied Art”, Cheongju, Korea
2013 “Mare Balticum”, Gallery Ritterswürden, Zwiesel, Germany
2013 “From Sand…”, Reigi parsonage, Hiiumaa Island, Estonia
2013 “Milky Way”, Rakvere gallery, Rakvere, Estonia
2013 “Vase”, GaleriiPINK, Tallinn, Estonia
2013 “Concord”, Haus Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2012 “Estonian Platter”, GaleriiPINK, Tallinn, Estonia
2012 “Contemporary Estonian Glass Art”, Jelagin Island’s Glass Museum, St.
Petersburg, Russia
2012 “European Glass Art”, Bornholm Art Museum, Denmark
2012 “Grand Fragility”, Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia
2012 “Sincerely, Yours … “ The Museum of New Art in Pärnu, Estonia
2012 “Is plokstumos” (“2D →” ), Arka Gallery, Vilnius, Lithuania
2012 “Contemporary Estonian Glass Art”, Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, Tallinn, Estonia
2012 “New Acquisitions 2011”, Glasmuseum Alter Hof Herding, Germany
2011 “Multisensory” L’Arredamento Gallery, Prato di Pordenone, Italy
2011 “Inside/Outside” Frauenau Glass Museum, Frauenau, Germany
2011 “Paar” Kullo Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2011 “Estonian” Glass”, Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland
2011 “Voice of Glass”, Art Academy of latvia, Riga, Latvia
2010–2011 “Estonian Glass”, Glashütte Gernheim, Petershagen, Germany
2010 “Night Light”, Kalamaja Park, Kadrioru Park, Tallinn, Estonia
2010 “Jukebox”, Nuutajarvi, Finland
2009 “National Heritage”, Pärnu Town Gallery and Rakvere Gallery, Estonia
2009 “Gläserne Zeichen in der Landschaft”, Frauenau Glass Museum, Germany
2009 “Glasstouch”, Palazzo Agostinelli, Vicenza, Italy
2008 “European Glass Context 2008. Industrial Design”, Groenebechs Gord, Bornholm, Denmark
2008 “Open”, Paide Town Hall, Paide, Estonia
2008 “3+3”, Gallery Im Heppächer, Esslingen, Germany
2008 “Vabaduse Square”, Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia
2007 “Glass Garden III”, Gallery XX, Panevezys, Lithuania
2007 “Round”, Albu Manor House, Järva County, Estonia
2007 “State of Affairs”, Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia
2007 “Estonian Glass 70: the best of 10 years”, Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, Tallinn, Estonia
2006 “Glass Voice” Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Riga, Latvia
2006 “Glass Garden II”, Panevezys, Lithuania
2006 “Beautiful”, Tallinn Art Hall Gallery, Estonia
2006 “Experimental Spirit in Glass Sculpture”, Menzendorff`s House, Riga, Latvia
2006 “Vitrum Balticum III”, Ceramics Museum, Kaunas, Lithuania
2005 “Broken Things”, Jaani Seek, Tallinn; Towngallery, Viljandi, Estonia
2004 “Focus”, Hobusepea Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2003 “Notes. 3 Dimentional Estonian Art”, MüveszetMalom, Szentendre, Hungary
2003 “Vaagen”, Hobusepea Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2002 “Estonian Product Design 2002”, Design Forum Finland, Helsinki, Finland
2002 “Design. Glass. EKA. Lorup”, Design Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2002 “Emerging Artist from Europe, Young and Hot”, Society Baby, Amsterdam, Netherland
2001 “From Lorup to Lorup”, Town Hall Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2001 “Glass with Care”, EAA Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
2001 Estonian Art and Craft, Gallery Tersaeus and Gallery Dansens Hus, Stockholm, Sweden
2000–2002 “Nordic Glass 2000”, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
1999 “Engraved glass. XX/XXI”, Adamson-Eric Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
1997 “The Young Applied Art Tips”, Estonian National Museum, Tartu, Estonia
1997 “Estonian Glass 60”, Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia
Cooperation:
2023 curation and design of the exhibition “In the Light of Glass. Selection of works by Maie-Ann Raun at the permanent display”, Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, Tallinn, Estonia
2014 light installations in performance “Phases – ReMake”. Fine 5 Dance Theatre. Vaba Lava Open Space, Tallinn, Estonia; IFMC Vitebsk, Belarus
2011 work dedicated to Fanny de Sivers for the permanent exhibition “The Face of History” of the Estonian History Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
2010–2011 Estonian–Norwegian collaboration project “World of Glass” (making glass instruments for musicians)
2010–2011 creating art project for schoolbook “Ready! Steady! ART!” (“Loovalt tulevikku”, “Kaasav ja kaasaegna kunstiõpe”)
2008–2009 light installations in performance “Phases”. Fine 5 Dance Theatre. KUMU Art Muesum, Tallinn; Traditional Music Center, Viljandi; The Harbour Theatre, Tartu; Endla Theatre Küün, Pärnu; Rakvere Theatre; Estonia
Symposia:
2018 Artist in residence (project „GlassEST”) at The Glass Factory, Boda Glasbruk, Sweden
2017 “Glass in Art and in Architecture. Hot-Cold”, Tallinn Creative Hub, Estonia
2013 “Eedi & Eabha in conversation…”, seminar of applied art, GaleriiPINK and EAA
2012 „European Glass Context 2012”, Bornholm, Denmark
2011 „The Next 100 Years. Future of Glass Art and Design”, Aalto University, finland
2009 International glass conference “Scratching the Surface – Matters of Perception”, Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2008 International conference “European Glass Context 2008”, Bornholm, Denmark
2007 International conference on glass education “Meeting Point II. VITRA”, Nancy and Vannes-le-Chatel, France
2007 International symposium and workshop of glass blowing “Glass Garden III”, Panevezys, Lithuania
2006 International symposium and workshop of glass blowing “Glass Garden II”, Panevezys, Lithuania
2006 White Glass Days’ workshop, Evald Okas Museum, Haapsalu, Estonia
2006 Days of Beads, Kunilepa, Rapla County, Estonia
2006 International conference on glass education “Meeting Point I – Tallinn”, KUMU Art Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
2006 International workshop “Experimental Spirit in Glass Sculpture”, Grizinkalns Glass Factory, Riga, Latvia
2002 Glass Art Society Annual Conference: 32, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2000 “Nordic Glass 2000”, Holmegaard glass factory, Denmark
1998 1st International Womens’ Glass Workshop, Nuutajärvi, Finland
Awards:
2023 The Kristjan Raud Prize
2021–2023 Artist laureate salary
2020 Appreciated Glass Artist 2018–2019, prize of EGAU
2019 Annual Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia
2019 The competition of stained glass windows for the St. John’s Church (Jaani Kirik) in Tallinn, II prize
2009, 2010 International glass contest “Glass Gardens in Frauenau” (with E. Käsper), Germany – selected work “Imaginary Space”, realized 2010
2009 New Glass Review 30, the annual competition of Corning Museum of Glass – selected work
2007 Jutta Cuny-Franz Memorial Award – selected work
2007 The Kristjan Raud Prize
2006 Appreciated Glass Artist 2004–2005, prize of EGAU
2004 6th International Design Contest Trieste Contemporanea, Italy, Grand Prix
2000 Design prize of glass factory Scancrystal
1997 Jutta Cuny-Franz Memorial Award, Düsseldorf, Germany, Honourable Diploma
1997 International fair competition “Woman ‘97”, III prize
Works in collections:
Ernsting Stiftung Glassmuseum, Alter Hof Herding, Germany
Glasmuseum Frauenau, Germany
Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn City Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
Estonian History Museum, Tallinn, Estonia
Trieste Contemporanea, Trieste, Italy
Mentzendorffs House. City-dwellers’ House-Museum, Riga, Latvia
Rakvere Gallery, Rakvere, Estonia
Private collections in Austria, Japan, Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Finland, Russia, USA, Norway, Russia, Great Britain, Estonia etc.