Katrin Valgemäe (born 1979) is a freelance artist living and working in TallinnEstonia. Valgemäe studied painting and ceramics at Estonian Academy of Arts and furthered her skills at the painting department of Art Academy of Latvia.
This painting was exhibited in Katrin Valgemäe’s solo exhibition, “Queens of Chaos,” at Gallery Myymälä2 in Helsinki. This solo exhibition, marking her debut outside Estonia, showcases a series of kitschy paintings influenced by the visual allure of Finnish TV advertising from her childhood and serves as a satirical commentary on Estonian consumerism during the final decade of Soviet occupation. Valgemäe’s sophisticated portraits of women, juxtaposed with the promotion of everyday brands, provoke thought on the intersection of aesthetics and commercialism, bridging timelines from socialist dreams to the exuberant 1990s and the present. Curated by Ramiro Camelo, the exhibition invites a closer look at Valgemäe’s deliberately flamboyant style, revealing a technically savvy and whimsically offbeat visual world.
“Pedigree,” a piece from my Helsinki exhibition “Queens of Chaos,” now rightfully claims its place on Thai Boh’s golden brick wall. The painting seamlessly blends into the restaurant’s eclectic aesthetic, adding an extra audacity to the already bold interior. With its exaggerated burlesque pose and ironic juxtapositions of the food chain, it confronts viewers with the uncomfortable truth of the clash between high and low culture. While masquerading as an advertisement for the “Pedigree” brand, it rebels against the mundane absurdity where pets consume other “canned” pets.
Original artwork by Katrin Valgemäe comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
www.katrinvalgemae.com
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