Erki Kannus "firewatercolor"

On Friday, 13 February at 5:00 PM, the artist Erki Kannus will open his exhibition firewatercolor at the Vabaduse Gallery.

Erki Kannus has released three forces on paper: fire, water and paint. He then tries to tame them according to his abilities, perhaps even to reach some sort of harmony. However chaotic the process may seem, or however abstract the result, there is always a Woman at its beginning and end. In the maelstrom of this nameless Woman’s moods, in the interplay of her fervency and fluidity, the author gets burnt and soaked in equal measures. 

The fire is conveyed on paper via the medium of molten glass, which embodies the two extremes simultaneously. Water works in classical watercolour style, allowed to flow and roam more or less as it pleases. The relation with colour is more playful and coquettish, smoothing out the sharpest edges. 

Seeking contact with the Woman within himself and in others, the author tests the limits of his vulnerability and safety.

Erki Kannus (b. 1958, Tallinn) graduated from the State Art Institute of the Estonian SSR (ERKI), Department of Glass Art in 1981. He has participated in exhibitions since 1976, having exhibited his art in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, France, Ukraine and America. He mainly works with watercolours, oil paintings and glass objects. Over the years, Kannus has worked on a project called Tilinatoorium, creating interactive objects using sound art and multimedia. In recent years, he has focused on glass art and painting, and he has had solo exhibitions in Tallinn, Rapla, Kärdla and Pärnu. Kannus is a member of the Estonian Artists’ Association, Estonian Watercolour Society and Estonian Glass Artists’ Union.

The exhibition firewatercolor at the Vabaduse Gallery will remain open until 10 March 2026.

Thanks to: Merle Kannus, PUHU Stuudio, Olustvere Klaasikoda, Eili Soon, Kaie Vakepea, Helen Maasik and Aivar Jalandi.
The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.
The gallery is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Culture, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and Liviko Ltd.
The Vabaduse Gallery is managed by the Estonian Artists’ Association.