Vello Vinn

Vello Vinn (born 4 October 1939) is an Estonian printmaker.

Life and work
Vello Vinn was born in Sõrve, Saaremaa on 4 October 1939. He studied English philology at the University of Tartu in 1959 to 1962, and art in the Estonian Academy of Arts from 1963 to 1968 where he graduated in the field of glass art. In 1968 he promptly ditched glass for print. His specialty became etching and drypoint. In the nineties he participated in the Estonian 'PARA'-Surrealist movement (Eller 1996; Kaevats 1998; Helme and Kangilaski 1999). The works of Vello Vinn form a noteworthy example of the oeuvre of an Estonian printmaker from the late 1960s and early 1970s, and they boast a holistic and emphatically unique image system. Vinn’s highly original visual world is grounded in his mastery of various printmaking techniques, delicate treatment of images and witty associations. The artist’s play with space and images, his ability to notice details and different levels of meaning and to put together a new whole out of these details offer the public a unique viewing experience. Besides playful images, Vinn’s prints often present witty wordplay and warm absurd humour, which invite viewers to join in the artist’s thought and creative processes (Taidre 2020).



Solo exhibitions
This is only a partial listing.
 * Tallinn (Estonia) 1970,1977, 1984,1989,1992, 1994,1996,1996, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2019, 2020
 * Tartu together with (Estonia) 2020
 * Kuressaare (Estonia) 1980, 1995
 * Rapla (Estonia) 1983
 * Vilnius (Lithuania) 1985
 * Helsinki (Finland) 1987
 * Brandenburg (Germany) 1989
 * Paldiski (Estonia) 1997–98
 * Frederikshavn (Denmark) 2012

Awards

 * Prix d`Emona IX Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts, 1971
 * Diploma II Tallinn Print Triennial, 1971
 * Special prize V ja VII Tallinn Print Triennial, 1980, 1986
 * Special prize, Vilnius Biennale of Exlibris 1979,1981,1983, diploma 1993
 * Diploma, I Miniature Prints Triennal in Riga 1983
 * Special prize II Artist's Book Triennial Vilnius 1984
 * Main prize V Vilnius Biennale of Exlibris 1985
 * Gold Point Uzice V International Graphic Art Biennale, Dry Point, Uzice (Yugoslavia), 2001
 * Gold Point Uzice VI International Graphic Art Biennale, Dry Point, Uzice (Serbia and Montenegro), 2003
 * Kristjan Raud Prize, Tallinn, 2015
 * Lifetime achievement award from the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Tallinn, 2021