VANO ALLSALU THE MYSTERY OF BLOOMING

Vano Allsalu observes and re-creates his surroundings through a strong subjective generalisation, focusing on his own distinctive colour world. The artist’s creative style is powerfully expressive and abstract, occasionally playing with figurative elements. For Allsalu, the underlying conceptual fabric of the visible image structure, the connections between the visual and the verbal, as well as the emergence of meaning at the borderlands of abstraction and figuration, are all of great importance.

In the exhibition The Mystery of Blooming, the artist explores the enigma of growth, flowering, and decay by delving into the anatomy of a flower bouquet. From this, a clenched fist or a mushroom cloud might emerge – a barely discernible human head or a flower within a flower, like the illusion of infinity created by mirrors facing each other. At times, the bouquet resembles stems forming a skeleton, covered by leaves and petals like a vegetal body. Then, weeds seem to take over, and the unstoppable momentum of growth envelops the more delicate parts of the flowers. In some paintings, emptiness seems to thirst for flowers that are only just beginning to take shape amidst the colorful chaos.

In Allsalu’s artworks, the analytical meets the poetic: rhizomatic structures of brushstrokes create a painterly compost layer from which colors and forms sprout, interwoven with natural and cultural references. At times, gentleness and brutality appear to coexist in these works, like cherry blossoms and harakiri in old Japan. Allsalu’s highly abstracted floral motifs contain both beauty and threat, an ode to life and growth, while evoking a sense of wonder at their all-encompassing power. 

“You gave me a lily, but now it's a field,” says Leonard Cohen in his song It’s Torn. Is there a natural urge to bloom that surpasses mere function?  

In Estonia, around 1,400 species of flowering plants grow, while globally, there are at least 240,000 species. In 1879, Charles Darwin expressed his astonishment at the sudden and seemingly abrupt appearance of flowering plants in great diversity some 130–140 million years ago, calling it an “abominable mystery.” Darwin was troubled by the thought that such a rapid flowering could be perceived as a divine act of creation – potentially undermining the theory of evolution. 

Whether the viewer comes to the exhibition seeking beauty or driven by curiosity, Allsalu’s works invite a visual journey of discovery – to reflect, to speculate, to go astray, and to find. At the same time, Vano Allsalu holds a clear stance on the significance of flowers. He has written the following reflections. 

“Flowers evoke conflicting thoughts and deep emotions. It would be unfair to see them merely as decoration or as objects of etiquette – or to view plants solely for their utility. The language and meaning of flowers transcends eras and cultures, from ritual solemnity to deeply personal significance.” 

“Who among us does not know the laurel wreath? Yet in ancient Rome, the highest honor was in fact a simple grass crown (corona graminea). Grateful soldiers would weave it from blades of grass and wildflowers found on the spot, and present it to a commander who had saved a legion from destruction.” 

“One of the oldest traces of human culture is the discovery of flower remains in burial sites – believed to have been placed with the dead by Neanderthals some fifty thousand years ago. Perhaps this custom is rooted in a primal understanding of sacrifice: that in order to receive benefit or blessing in this world or the next, something must be given in return.” 

“Even the most magnificent flower has grown from black soil, from the kingdom of earthworms and humus – that feeling is present too in van Gogh’s famous sunflowers. As a child, I always received snowdrops for my birthday. My mother introduced me to sundew, foxtail grass, and the tiny blue forget-me-nots. I still remember the scent of peonies from the summer I fell in love for the first time. I believe each of us carries deeply personal associations and memories tied to growth, blooming, and withering. Perhaps this exhibition could help recall those colors and scents, thoughts and emotions.”

Vano Allsalu (b. 1967) is an artist and lecturer living and working in Tallinn. Allsalu's artistic career began in the early 1990s. In 1991, he graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts with a degree in painting. A few years later, his first solo exhibition Black and White (Tartu Art House, 1993) took place, although he had already been participating in group exhibitions since the mid-1980s. Today, his works can be found in the collections of the Art Museum of Estonia, Tartu Art Museum, Bank of Estonia, AkzoNobel, and the National Library of Estonia, as well as in private collections in Estonia and abroad. Besides creating art, Allsalu has also taught painting at several institutions, including the University of Tartu, the Estonian Academy of Arts, and Sally Studio. From 2013 to 2019, he served as President of the Estonian Artists' Association, and then as Vice President until 2025. Allsalu is a member of the board of the Estonian Painters' Association and serves on the advisory boards of several art institutions.

As part of the exhibition, there will be an evening discussion with the artist on September 24th at 6 pm, hosted by Peeter Laurits.

Text: Vano Allsalu, edited by Lola Annabel Kass