Ellinor Aiki facts for kids

Ellinor Aiki (born Ellinor Blumenfeldt; 11 January 1893 – 25 October 1969) was an Estonian painter. She is best known for her later artworks, which were full of bright colors and interesting textures. Her paintings often showed portraits, landscapes, and fun, imaginative designs.

Early life and challenges

Ellinor Aiki was born Ellinor Blumenfeldt in Tõstamaa, Estonia. Her family was Estonian and followed the Lutheran faith. In 1935, she changed her last name to Aiki.

When she was six years old, Ellinor had a bad fall. This accident led to a serious bone and joint infection called tuberculosis. This illness made her stay in bed for almost six years. It also caused her pain throughout her life.

Despite her health issues, she finished high school in Pärnu in 1909. After that, she worked as a helper in a children's hospital and as a teacher. She also studied in St. Petersburg, Ukraine, and Belarus until 1917, when she came back to Estonia.

Art studies

Because of her ongoing leg pain from tuberculosis, Ellinor's studies were often interrupted. In 1928, when she was 35, she passed the entrance exams for the Pallas Art School in Tartu. She first studied graphics, which is about creating images using different printing methods.

From 1930 to 1934, she learned about monotyping in Ado Vabbe's studio. Monotyping is a printing technique where you make a single print from a plate. Then, from 1935 to 1936, she studied etching and lithography with Hando Mugasto. These are also ways to create prints from drawings.

Ellinor graduated from the Pallas Art School in 1936 at the age of 43. She had studied painting in Nikolai Triik's studio.

Artistic career

After graduating, Ellinor Aiki became a freelance artist in Tartu. This meant she worked for herself and was not employed by one company. In 1937, she worked at the Vanemuine Theatre, which is a well-known theater.

From 1940 to 1941, she was part of the Estonian Artists' Cooperative. During World War II, when Nazi Germany occupied Estonia, she worked at the Tartu Artists' Bureau.

When the Soviet Union took control of Estonia in 1944, Ellinor fled to Germany. However, she returned to Estonia in 1946. After her return, Soviet authorities removed her from the Estonian Artists' Union until 1957. They criticized her art for being too "formalist," meaning it didn't follow the official art style they wanted. During this time, she painted very little and stayed away from public life.

Before this ban, her paintings mostly showed still lifes (arrangements of objects), portraits, and city or nature scenes. These works often used calm, muted colors.

It was after the ban was lifted in 1957 that Ellinor Aiki's art became more popular. Her style changed a lot. Instead of calm colors, she started using bright, bold colors like oranges, greens, and purples. Her paintings became very textured and often included images from fantasy and whimsical ideas.

Even though she had formal training from art school, her later works had strong elements of naïve art. This style often looks simple and childlike, like someone who hasn't had formal training. She also added humor to her works, finding inspiration in fairy tales and poetry.

Later life and legacy

In the spring of 1969, an Estonian art historian named Tui Koorti organized a special exhibition of Ellinor Aiki's works. It was held at the Tartu Art Museum. About one hundred of her paintings from 1928 to 1969 were on display. Ellinor Aiki passed away that October at the age of 76.