EDGAR VIIES
(1931-2006) Estonian sculptor

Edgar Viies was born in Simititsa, an agricultural region of Estonia in 1931.

He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Estonia, Tallinn, from 1951 to 1952 and continued his studies at the Academy of Arts in Leningrad where he graduated in 1958. During the decades of the 1960s and 1970s he significantly impacted the conservative language of Estonian sculpture by superimposing over it a new idiom of abstraction, and introducing new sculptural materials, including aluminum and welded iron.

During his lifetime, Viies worked continuously as an independent artist; he also created many public art works which can be found in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, as well as in Tartu and Viljandi. These works include monuments to Jaan Koort, Friedebert Tuglas and the painter Johann Köler. A beloved classical sculpture, “Merineitsi” (trans. “Virgin of the Sea”) is situated in the heart of Tallinn, next to the Viru Hotel, a legendary meeting place with Westerners; over time, this work became a symbol of freedom and hope.

Edgar Viies’ sculpture is featured in the collections of the Art Museum of Estonia, in Tartu Art Museum, in the Tallinn Art Hall as well as the Museum of Modern Art, Kumu.Viies sculpture can also be found  in the permanent collections of the Ludwig Museum in Cologne and the Pushkin Museum of Fine Art in Moscow.