Jüri Mildeberg. Thoughts and associations of this and that

Jüri Mildebergborn in 1965, is an autodidact in art. His father was the famous graphic artist Aleksander MildebergJüri is best known as an illustrator and designer of children’s books who has won several prizes and has been widely recognized. He has had numerous exhibitions both in Estonia and abroad that have always charmed with their uniqueness, fantasy and humour. Mildeberg’s works speak of a kind, warm and simple world.

According to the artist himself he is engaged in details that are important. In Mildeberg’s painting a seemingly tiny object or idea acquires large dimensionsinsignificant is brought into focus, becoming existential. Big becomes small or small becomes unexpectedly big.

Mildeberg works in mixed technique, he often uses wood boards on which he either paints or adds various strange objects. As a whole Mildeberg’s creative work is like a panopticon in itself – a collection of curiosities, peculiar painted or real objects that have been brought out from somebody’s back roomassociated with somebody’s memories, remote history, politics or then with nothing at all.

The artist has called himself a hedonist who enjoys what he is doing – enjoys the feeling how his hands make something complete, how material obeys thought and in the combination of everything new intriguing visual worlds are born to be shared and to rejoice over. Jüri Mildeberg is a profoundly positive hero and such are also his works of art creating atmosphere in the little hall of Art Priori.