Reiu Tüür

Estonian artist Reiu Tüür perceives life in Lithuania as an ongoing performance—one that at times becomes apparent in paintings, and at others, lingers solely as concepts. Formerly the director of Tallinn’s Kunstihoone art centre and now proprietor of the private gallery Ark Royal, Tüür has significantly shaped arts education, founding and serving as rector of the independent art academy Academia Grata. Through several exhibitions in Lithuania, he has brought his singular artistic perspective to audiences there.

Tüür asserts, “It only takes one painting to change a person's mind.” This sentiment embodies his belief in art’s ability to transform and reveals his intention to craft works that invite viewers to see with new eyes. Fascinated by the visual culture shared by Estonia and Lithuania, Tüür observes that, despite nuanced distinctions, he can almost always identify an Estonian counterpart for each Lithuanian artist, indicating a profound connection between the two nations’ cultures.

Frequently anchored in history, the artist’s pieces highlight details like vanished individuals, lost lives, and cities no longer accessible. His paintings feature recognizable images—scenes from Vilnius and other European cities, alongside references to renowned Renaissance masterpieces. Tüür finds analogies between locations such as Vilnius’s Dawn Gate and Pärnu’s Morning Gate, contemplating how urban gates act as significant shrines and serve as symbolic thresholds in different cultures.

In 1998, Reiu Tüür earned a degree in Printmaking from the Estonian Academy of Arts, later graduating with a qualification in Art Management from City University London in 2001. He has belonged to the Kursi Koolkond artists’ collective since 1993 and joined the Estonian Artists' Union in 1994. Tüür’s artwork has appeared in exhibitions in Vilnius, Kaunas, Tallinn, Riga, and Tartu, and is found in both museum and private collections throughout Estonia and Europe—including Austria, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Lithuania. A considerable number of his paintings are also installed in public spaces across European cities.