Starting from November 1, you can visit two new exhibitions at the Tartu Art Museum: the first floor will host the exhibition “Metamorphoses of Me. Self-Portraits of Henn Roode” and the second and third floors will host the retrospective exhibition “Silmapilk / Blink” by Jüri Kase, where, in addition to school drawings and more mature abstract paintings, this time the exhibition includes a number of previously unpublished materials.
“Metamorphoses of Me. Self-Portraits of Henn Roode”
The exhibition, which opens on November 1 at the Tartu Art Museum, will showcase the extensive and unique legacy of self-portraits by the prominent Estonian modernist Henn Roode (1924–1974).
Roode, who studied at the Tartu State Art Institute (1944–1949) and later at the Estonian SSR State Art Institute (1956–1959), consistently portrayed himself throughout his life – including during his years in the Karaganda prison camp (1950–1956). His collection of self-portraits, consisting of at least sixty paintings and one hundred and sixty drawings, is unique in its scale not only in Estonian art, but also in international art history.
In addition to Henn Roode’s self-portraits, the exhibition also features self-portraits by his schoolmates, the artists of the so-called Tartu Friends. Of particular significance is the comparison of Roode’s works with the equally daring self-portraits of his friend Ülo Sooster. Many of the exhibited works will be shown to the public for the first time.
Curator: Tõnis Tatar
Designer: Peeter Krosmann
The exhibition will remain open until 01.02.2026.
Jüri Kask “Blink”
Sixty years after coming to study at the Tartu Art School, the world has been made round and Jüri Kask is returning to the leaning house. The former dormitory, now the Tartu Art Museum, will host Jüri Kask’s solo exhibition “Blink” from November 1.
Kask is known for his large-scale works and love of color, and in terms of style he is considered one of the most consistent practitioners of geometric abstractionism. The exhibition, which spans two floors, has conquered the floors, walls and ceilings and breaks through the boundaries typical of Kask. This pictorial language, honed to perfection, has formed a complete world. In addition to school drawings and more mature abstract paintings, this exhibition includes a number of previously unpublished materials.
Jüri Kask (born 1949) graduated from the Tartu Art School with a degree in artistic design and from the Estonian State Institute of Art with a degree in painting. Actively participated in Estonian art life as a freelance artist since the 1970s and has supervised art students at the Pallas Art School, the Estonian Academy of Arts, and the University of Tartu.
Artist: Jüri Kask
Curator: Brita Karin Arnover
Thanks: Mari Nõmmela, Liisa Kaljula, Peeter Krosmann
The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia
The exhibition will remain open until 26.04.2026.