Council of EAA 2022–2025

Members of the board of EAA:

Elin Kard (President of EAA)
Elin Kard has graduated from Tallinn Technical School of Light Industry and the department of leather art at the Estonian Academy of Arts; she obtained MA degree in visual art at the Estonian Academy of Arts. She is presently studying at the Doctoral School of Estonian Academy of Arts. Elin Kard has worked as a project manager at the Center for Contemporary Arts Estonia; an associate professor at the Estonian Academy of Arts and since 2003 she has been the manager of Hobusepea gallery and Draakon gallery in Tallinn. In 2003-2019 she was the Vice-President of the Estonian Artists' Association.

Vano Allsalu (Vice-President of EAA)
Vano Allsalu has graduated from the department of painting at the Estonian Academy of Arts. He has worked as a lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts, at the University of Tartu, Sally Stuudio and as a creative director in advertisement agency Zoom. He is a member of the council of Tallinn Art Hall Foundation, member of the board of Estonian Painters' Association and member of the advisory board of Tartu Art College. In 2013-2019 he worked as the President of the Estonian Artists' Association.

Members of the council of EAA, representatives of EAA's sub-associations:

Lembe Ruben (Association of Estonian Printmakers)
Represents Association of Estonian Printmakers in the council of Estonian Artists' Association. Lembe Ruben has obtained BA degree in printmaking and MA degree in fine arts at the Estonian Academy of Arts; she has taken additional courses in psychology and art therapy at the Tallinn University. Besides her artist's practice, Lembe Ruben also curates printmaking exhibitions and has taught graphic art, drawing and composition at Estonian Academy of Arts, at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy and Kumu Art Museum. She has designed and illustrated magazines and books; organized the annually held international printmaking week “Muhu Print” and works in Kunstiosakond LLC.

Aet Ollisaar (Estonian Textile Artists' Association)
Aet Ollisaar represents Estonians Textile Artists' Association in the council of the Estonian Artists' Association. She has graduated from the department of textile art at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Besides an active artist's practice, Ollisaar has also compiled publications, organized annual exhibitions and awarding of the textile artists' association, and worked as the professor and head of the department of textile at Pallas University of Applied Sciences.

Pille Kaleviste (head of the Estonian Ceramists' Union)
Represents Estonian Ceramists' Union in the council of EAA. Kaleviste has studied ceramics, textile art and teacher training at the Estonian Academy of Arts. She is an active artist and curator.

Merle Kannus (Estonian Glass Artists' Union)
Represents Estonian Glass Artists' Union in the council of EAA. Kannus is educated at the Department of Glass Art at the EAA. Kannus has worked as a cartoon animator, translator, colour lecturer, product designer, VJ and flower designer. Kannus owns EKDesign, a brand offering a variety of room solutions.

Marko Kekišev (Estonian Graphic Designers' Association)
Represents Estonian Graphic Designers' Association in the council of EAA. Marko Kekišev has graduated from the department of design at Estonian State Art Institute. Besides his main profession as a graphic designer, Kekišev has also worked as a lecturer, an AD in advertisement agencies (Kolm Karu, Zavod BBDO), a lecturer and a curator. He is currently working as a professor in the department of media design in Pallas University of Applied Sciences and as a graphic designer in Siirup LLC. He is the initiator and organizer of the legendary Haapsalu Festival of Graphic Design.

Eve Kiiler (Association of Independent Artists)
Represents Association of Independent Artists in the council of EAA. Kiiler has studied interior architecture and furniture design at Estonian State Art Institute; she has also graduated from the department of culture theory at Goldsmiths College, University of London; and from the Doctoral School of Art, Design and Architecture at Aalto University. Eve Kiiler has worked as a lecturer in the Centre of Photography, the head as well as the head of curriculum and professor in the department of photography at Estonian Academy of Arts. Currently working at the Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School.

Rita Randmaa (Estonian Ceramists' Union)
Represents the Estonian Ceramicists' Union in the council and is its president. Randmaa holds a Master's degree in ceramics from the EAA. Randmaa has participated in various solo and group exhibitions since 1998 and, in addition to her work, she is the founder of the Masters' Court Ceramics Chamber.

Riina Grethiel Leppoja (Studio 22)
Represents sub-association Studio 22 in the council of EAA. Leppoja has studied history - for several decades, she has explored various religions and esoterical traditions, including the related visual and mythological semantic language. Leppoja is a member of Estonian Artists' Association since 1993 and since mid-1980 she has participated in exhibitions both in Estonia and abroad. She began her artist practice in Tõnis Vint's studio. While being an artist, author of several books, translator and meditation teacher, Leppoja's main focus lies on mental journey, awakening of the potential hidden in human consciousness, creating beauty, dissolving obstacles and broadening the limits of perception. Since 2018 she has been a curator to organize the group exhibitions of Studio 22.

Sirje Petersen (Tartu Artists' Union)
Represents Tartu Artists' Union in the council of EAA. Sirje Petersen has studied at Tartu Art School, Tartu Art College, at the Art Cabinet of the University of Tartu and at Tallinn University. She has been actively participating in exhibitions since 1981. Since 2000, Petersen works as a lecturer at Tartu Art College. Her artwork has been exhibited in Estonia and in numerous countries abroad.

Jaan Pärn (Estonian Metal Artists' Association)
Represents Estonian Metal Artists' Association in the council of EAA. Jaan Pärn has graduated from the departments of architecture and metal art at Estonian State Art Institute. Pärn has worked as an architect in the State Restoration Authority; a vice-president of Tallinn Open Air Museum; a lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts; an entrepreneur and a jewellery artist in a studio-gallery in Helsinki; and an artistic editor in the Government of Film Rental and Advertisement. Pärn is a founder of Masters' Courtyard in Tallinn, head of the Estonian Metal Artists' Association and a jewellery artist.

Tiiu Rebane (Estonian Painters' Association)
Head of the Estonian Painters' Association and represents it in the council of EAA. Rebane has graduated from the department of painting at the Estonian Academy of Arts and the department of restoration at Tallinn Construction School. Currently she is finishing her MA studies in the Institute of Art History and Visual Culture at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Besides being an active artist she has also been a curator for numerous exhibitions and art projects as well as works as a project manager at Muhu Art Residency of Estonian Artists' Association.

Virve Sarapik (Estonian Society of Art Historians and Curators)
Represents Estonian Society of Art Historians and Curators in the council of EAA. Virve Sarapik has graduated from the department of graphic art at Estonian State Art Institute and obtained Doctoral degree in the department of semiotics and culturology at the University of Tartu. She has worked as an assistant, associate professor, senior researcher, Professor extraordinarius and professor at Estonian Academy of Arts. Sarapik has also worked at Under and Tuglas Literature Centre; as a senior researcher and the head of the culture theory work group at Estonian Literary Museum. Currently working as the head of the Institute of Art History and Visual Culture at the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Gea Sibola-Hansen (Estonian Sculptors' Union)
Chairwoman of the Estonian Sculptors' Union and represents it in the council of EAA. She has graduated from the department of sculpture at the Estonian State Art Institute. Besides her artist practice in Estonia and Sweden, Sibola-Hansen has worked as a lecturer and restorer with monuments and facades protected under heritage conservation in Europe; also, she has curated exhibitions and created numerous artworks of public space.

Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla (Estonian Association of Designers)
Represents Estonian Association of Designers in the council of EAA. She is an interior designer and practising interior architect interested in the social and artistic dimension of space. She received design education at the Academy of Arts and defended her doctoral thesis on creative research on changing spatial values. In 2019-2022, she was a visiting professor at the Department of Interior Architecture at the Estonian Academy of Arts and head of the BA and MA curricula. Vaikla has been elected as an Associate Professor at RMIT University in Melbourne, supervises PhD students and participates in the work of the European Council of Interior Architecture (ECIA) working groups. She writes for Sirp, Maja, Estonian Art and publishes research articles in foreign journals. She is co-founder and curator of the recent art residency KORDON in Hiiumaa and is researching the spatial values of historic buildings in Tallinn's heritage conservation.

Anneliis Vabul (Estonian Watercolourists' Union)
Represents Estonian Watercolourists' Union in the council of EAA. She has graduated from the department of textile design and colouring at Tallinn Technical School of Light Industry, the department of fashion design at the Estonian Academy of Arts and the department of German and English language at Tallinn Pedagogical Institute. Vabul has worked as a senior artist in the textile studio of ARS Factory of Art Products; in film studio Tallinnfilm; as a fashion designer in the folk art enterprise „Kodu“; and as a schoolteacher in Saaremaa, Estonia. Besides her artist practice, Vabul has curated several projects and currently working as an executive manager of art training enterprise Alla Prima.

Members of the council of EAA selected at the General Assembly:

Jaan Elken
Jaan Elken has graduated from the faculty of architecture at Estonian State Art Institute; he is a painter, art critic, curator and art teacher. In 1997-2018, Elken worked as the professor of the chair of painting at the University of Tartu Institute of Cultural Research.  Since 2018, Elken is the Professor Emeritus in the faculty of arts and humanities at the University of Tartu. In 1999-2013, he was the President of the Estonian Artists' Association.

Mihkel Ilus
Mihkel Ilus has studied in the department of arts, faculty of philosophy at the University of Tartu, in Estonian Academy of Arts and in Tallinn Construction School. Mihkel Ilus is a painter, interdisciplinary artist, curator and works as a craftsman in the department of painting and as a visiting lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Loit Jõekalda
Loit Jõekalda has graduated from the department of graphic art at Estonian State Art Institute. He has designed several studybooks, compilations and fictional books; been actively involved in the activities of Graafikakoda printing workshop; led the Association of Estonian Printmakers; been one of the initiatives of Tallinn Drawing Triennial. Jõekalda is a member of Estonian Ancient Art Society, Estonian-Sami Union and Finnish Ancient Art Society. Currently working as a coordinator of the art collection of Kunstitaristu Foundation.

Kirke Kangro
Kirke Kangro has studied sculpture and interdisciplinary arts at the Estonian Academy of Arts. She has worked as an associate professor, professor and head of the department of sculpture at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Since 2016, Kangro works as the dean of faculty of fine arts at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Besides her artist practice, she has also designed books and curated various art projects.

Tiiu Kirsipuu
Tiiu Kirsipuu has graduated from the department of sculpture at Estonian State Art Institute. She has worked as a teacher in Nõmme Pioneers' Centre; lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts; lecturer at the College of Applied Arts at the Estonian Academy of Arts and in Tallinn University. Besides her artist practice, Kirsipuu has curated and designed several exhibitions and has created numerous pieces of public art. For many years, she has been a member of the board of Tallinn Art Hall and Amandus Adamson Studio Museum. Kirsipuu is a member of board of Estonian Sculptors' Union. In 2019, she was awarded the Order of the White Star Fourth Class from the President of the Republic of Estonia for her artist practice.

Eve Kask
Eve Kask graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts as a book illustrator. Kask has worked in the mediums of printmaking, (artist's) books, photography, video and installation, published four author's books, and curated several international exhibitions. She was president of the Tallinn Print Triennial 1998-2014.