RETI SAKS. SHAPES

The talented and acclaimed Reti Saks, born in Pärnu, has a distinctive artistic voice in both book and free graphic art as well as sculpture. It is bronze sculpture, however, that takes center stage in this exhibition: Reti Saks. Shapes. Yet what is shaped through sculpture is, much like Saks’ pictures, narrative, otherworldly and dreamlike – poetic, but also psychological and lifelike. All the little sculptures stand alone on stones, but according to the artist, they are “one family, originating from the same fantastical picture-world: Maybe they will even start walking around the room if someone blows on them…”

When asked what compels the artist to express themselves through visual art, Reti Saks replies: “I draw into my pictures the things that are missing from real life. I imagine and construct another world on paper – a world where it feels good to be, to do things. Life in the picture-world is interesting; there, I can arrange everything just the way I want. I’m not alone there, viewers come too, each bringing their own story in words.” Sculpture, too, provides a way to transcend ordinary life. "The sculptures I make are like little dolls, they feel good to hold in your hand. Fire and molten metal have cooled into form, full of weight, resting in the palm. I believe sculptures are homes for souls. When souls are wandering this side of existence, they crawl into the sculpture to hide. Then the sculpture looks at us, in three dimensions. That might just be the purpose of making sculpture.”

Creating images and shaping forms give Saks different kinds of creative satisfaction and allow her to realize her ideas in distinct ways. Each medium produces its own kind of story and experience. “When I draw, I’m curious about what’s happening beneath the surface of the picture, on the side hidden from the eye. How do things appear when viewed from that side? When I draw the image from the other side, the character appears again, from yet another angle. I wanted to know what my drawn characters would look like if they stepped off the page – and how they would “live” in the three-dimensional world. This exhibition has brought together many bronze figures – characters you can now view from every side and even touch.” The exhibition exhibits sculptures, most of which have been created in recent years, though the works are from various periods.

“I began sculpting with a piece of plasticine that I started kneading in my hand. As I molded it, the plasticine grew warm and soft under my fingers – the form in my hands felt as if it had come alive. I love that feeling, and I try to capture it each time I sculpt. Perhaps it’s something like what God felt when He shaped man from clay and breathed life into him. I simply enjoy sculpting [---] the figure becomes something on its own, growing into being.”

To the outside observer, Saks’ sculptures seem to arise from a combination of artistic drives: on the one hand, the impressionist’s interest in the subjects of everyday life, a desire to express impressions and conclusions drawn from life. On the other hand, the works radiate the romantic’s sensitivity, born from a need to move away from ordinary existence into a world of ideas and imagination. These are not reflections of inner turmoil or emotional storms. For the most part, these are quiet, tranquil figures – deeply absorbed in their actions and thoughts.

One sculpture, titled Looking (2000), evokes Narcissus from Ancient Greek mythology, gazing into his own reflection. But unlike the vain Narcissus, this figure is thoughtful, gazing deeply within herself. Another work, I Want It (2000), captures with striking authenticity a young girl who knows exactly what she wants and shows it. It is fascinating how such an ordinary moment can be depicted so captivatingly. The same applies to Washing the Head I (2000), where Saks has sculpted a figure in a graceful pose of self-care. It seems like the figure is engaged in an intimate ritual of beauty. And then there are the wind-blown hair, the fox tails (Bring with the Wind, 2003; Fox Tail, 2018). Saks manages to capture, even in the simplest hairstyle, a remarkable nuance – one that can spark a compelling visual story or set the viewer’s imagination free.

Reti Saks (b. 1960) is a versatile visual artist working across various fields such as sculpture, printmaking, and book illustration. She studied printmaking at the State Art Institute of Estonian SSR (now the Estonian Academy of Arts), graduating in 1987. She has learned sculpture on her own, acquiring the necessary knowledge of bronze casting also at Peter Jensen Bronze Foundry in Denmark. It was in Denmark where she first participated in a sculpture exhibition – her first sculpture was completed in 1996. Since the 1980s, she has worked as a freelance artist. Saks is a member of the Estonian Artists’ Association and the Estonian Printmakers’ Association.

Saks is an internationally recognized and award-winning artist who has participated in numerous exhibitions across Europe, the United States, and Asia. As a sculptor, she has also created commissioned works, including awards such as the sculpture Blossom of the Society for the Citizen of the Year and Liidia for the Female Police Officer of the Year. With a keen interest in book art, she has designed works by several Estonian and expatriate Estonian authors, including Thirst (Janu, 1997; first published in 1957), a well-known novel by Valev Uibopuu. She has also illustrated poetry by Doris Kareva and Marie Under. In addition, she has written and illustrated two children's books: Senni and Mustuke. 2002. and A Staircase to Nowhere (Trepp eikuhugi, 2020).

Text: Lola Annabel Kass, Haus Gallery's art historian