I was sent to take photos at a small ambient music festival Kukemuru. Since it was my first time there, I didn’t know what to expect, but after a little while I was blown away! This is by far the best festival you can experience during short Estonian summer. If you are ever planning your visit there, please plan it when you can also visit this slow and private festival – you will not be disappointed!
Be sure to show up Kukemuru Ambient 2021!
A distinctive portrait photo exhibition “Toronto Foreign Estonians and Estonian National Museum. Contact with Estonia” shows the attachment, pride and commitment of Canadian Estonians to Estonia, and introducing the essence of Canadian Estonians to Estonians through photographs, wishing to broaden their world view of foreigners and immigrants living abroad.
Presented are 13 colour photos in unique LED light-sheet frames. Because of a special technique used to print the photos, the photos feel almost real, when a light is projected behind them. This is what makes the exhibition so unique.
Exhibition is FREE and open from 11th of June until 7th of July, 2019, Tuesday to Sunday 10-18 at Estonian National Museum.
On 29th of June at 1 PM, Riina Kindlam – the child of refugees and a former expat, presents in Aliise Moora auditorium a lecture “Far Estonians need a parent tree”. Lecture is in Estonian.
This exhibition is possible because of my ever so supportive family.
Please check the opening gallery HERE.
I am pleased to inform that the XII Global Estonian Cultural Festival ESTO is taking place after a long time. This year the events take place in Helsinki, Finland, Tallinn and Tartu, Estonia. Read here more what the FESTIVAL is about.
I will have two exhibitions up during the festival. One in Tartu and the other in Tallinn. I have taken lots of photos in Toronto, Canada showing the Canadian Estonians and therefore I am really proud that my photos of them can be presented during this wonderful festival. The first exhibition to open in Tartu is brand new and very colorful, a long time project to finally come real. I took the portraits of Canadian-Estonians in 2014 and just this year the whole project culminated with a wonderful LED-framed exhibition. The second one, also a portrait exhibition, but black and white has previously displayed once in Tartu, Estonia, but now can be reached to a wider audience in Tallinn for just a week.
During the ESTO 2019 week in the Green Hall of Telliskivi Loomelinnak is displayed a portrait photography exhibition “Canadian Estonians – In light and shadow”, which introduces people with Estonian roots living in Toronto. I met with the Estonians born in Canada, those who recently immigrated there or had to flee their native Estonia to a new country. I conducted interviews with Estonians living abroad, took their portraits and photographed items that describe their essence the best.
The exhibition displays 13 high-quality black and white portraits, which were able to reach the viewers due to immense help from VEMU – Museum of Estonians Abroad. Thanks to the funding of the institution, the lives of the Estonians from the other side of the world, most of whom had to immigrate to Canada, can be seen by Estonians in Estonia.
The idea of the exhibition emerged to me during my first visit to Canada. While living in Toronto, I got to know an enormous Estonian community and I met many interesting people, whose achievements made me think of an exhibition. I was truly surprised by how many Estonians one can find in the big North American city.
NB! “Canadian Estonians – In light and shadow” is a pop-up exhibition, as it is open just for a week, so if you have any interest to see it, then please plan your visit in ahead, as it can be viewed only from 29th of June until 7th of July, every day from 11 AM – 6 PM. Entrance is free! The descriptions of the photographs are in Estonian, but I would gladly help to translate it to English if you contact me via my e-mail.
I am glad I was able to put my skills to use, while taking photos as a volunteer in two amazing events. First took place at Montessori Mother Berlin. and was a open house. Second took place in Panke e.V. and was Berlin Clothing Swap. Both of these events offered a great chance for me to practice my observing type of photo taking. I am thankful for the opportunity.
More photos of the Montessori Mother’s opening HERE.
More photos of the Berlin Clothing Swap HERE.
I am pleased to inform that I will have a new exhibition up from 6th of March in Tartu, in Tartu Lastekunstikooli Jakobi galerii, Jakobi 52, Tartu.
This is not a photography exhibition, but an ode to analogue photography, which is basically presenting all leftovers, which occur, when taking photos on a film and developing them later. Definitely not an average presentation, as it is more or less playing in the border of installation and reusing with a hint of recycling. Exhibition is up until 28th of March 2019, Tuesday to Friday 14-19.
Liisa Aavik from suletudring.ee is giving a lecture in Estonian about waste free living on 5th of March, 18.30. You are welcome!
This exhibition is possible because of my ever so supportive family.
NB! Exhibition has English narratives and is free of charge.
Please check the opening gallery HERE.
I am pleased to inform that I have another lovely exhibition up in Tartu Public Library from 18th of December. You can visit the exhibition on II and III floor. This is a rare exhibition, presenting Polaroids, definitely a fading art, which needs more attention and probably offers more adventures. The exhibition is up until 19th of January 2019.
This exhibition is possible because of Cultural Endowment of Tartu, Ülo and Janar Ilves, Merili Alep and Helle-Mari Märtson. NB! Exhibition has English narratives and is free of charge.
From 11th of December in the gallery Noorus of Pallas University of Applied Sciences, Riia street 11, is opened my new exhibition “A week after”.
I present large-scale photos and installation, which allows viewers to see the transformations of different food items until the closing of the exhibition on 12th of January.
On 15th of December at 3 PM Jaak Kikas is giving at the exhibition hall a lecture “Moment and eternity. Time in physics and photography.” NB! Exhibition has English narratives and is free of charge. The lecture is in Estonian.
This exhibition is possible because of Cultural Endowment of Tartu, Ülo and Janar Ilves and Helle-Mari Märtson.
After my own initiative, when I decided to turn to a local Estonian cycling magazine and offer to write them a story to promote my little blog here.
They were interested and so I got to write some of my thoughts down and choose my favourite cyclists, whose photos would be featured in their July 2018 issue.
I am not going to translate the entire LONG story, as unfortunately it is in Estonian, but I leave you with the lovely photos of the cyclist who I have found the most interesting in the five years of running this blog.
Thank you for contributing and please return for new photos of exciting cyclists!
Thank you Vahur Kalmre for giving me this chance!
“Recycle.Chinatown“ appeared from almost thousand of frames, which have been captured in Chinatown.
I hope to inspire viewers to recycle materials and things and offer and option that perhaps there are ways to mend the broken things or put them to use in a completely new context. In a way this exhibition is also an invitation to visit Chinatown and obtain inspiration from it.
This exhibition is possible because of Cultural Endowment of Tartu, St. John’s Church, Tartu, Janar Ilves, Angelika Pedosk, immense help and guidance of Arp Karm, PLC Täitsa Kantav and Lilian Lukka donating tens and tens of frames and other donors Kadri Vaher, Kristina Kurm, Nele Ambos and Tartu Uuskasutuskeskus.
Check the opening gallery HERE.
Published article in Õhtuleht.ee.
Published article in Fotoait.ee
Published TV interview in Kanal2.ee
I have opened my brand new Etsy shop, where I am selling my Chinatown series greeting cards. I have some other, not so traditional and photogenic photos since 2001 on sale as well, so please if any interest, contact me and I send you the photos of them. Mostly they are winter still-lives.
Handmade double sided black and white photo greeting cards for any occasion of your choice! You can choose between the beige or silver paper.
Photo is originally taken on film, scanned and printed for a photograph on a matte paper and glued on top of the horizontal card, so that there is a little silver border around the photo. On the back of the card is a little logo of www.kerlyilves.com
Size 11×16 cm, which is suitable for an average European size envelope. Comes without one.
Presented photos are part of my ongoing photography project, since 2014, which is capturing the setting of an urban garden located in Tartu, Estonia and called Chinatown. It has grown freely for many decades and nobody owns the land or the lots, but recently town municipality has shown some interest in it and wants to build an extension of a wide road through it, which may be the end of the vast urban garden area. Through your kind purchase the scenery captured will live on forever.
P.s. You can contact me directly for any of these cards.
