Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Acrylic on canvas. 2007.
Signature: EV

Oh, what a cosmic morning prayer,
symphony of the air, an anthem,
the breathing of bodies into each other,
in connection and exaltation –
pure blazing sunshine!

Doris Kareva “Oh, what a sight!”

Einar Vene (b. 1952) graduated from ERKI in 1984 and has since worked in many different fields, including teaching art, religious studies and exact sciences. Since 2006, he has been a freelance artist whose colorful style is truly unique. Jaan Elken has said that Vene is a metaphysical artist, adding: “Oftentimes, his allegories inspired by religious texts are mixed with dreamlike, Salvador Dali-like metaphors. Everything fits together perfectly and the ideal world created by the artist forms a convincing whole.” (https://mona.ee/einar-vene-soosambad/) 

So too in this painting, “Fire dance,” completed in 2007, which may at first glance be associated with the popular folk horror genre in films and literature — The Wicker Man, The Witch, Midsommar, etc. — where naked girls dancing around a campfire are often depicted asking for some favor from unearthly forces.

Knowing Vene’s worldview and reliance on a Christian perspective, this seems to be a well-intentioned trap set by the artist — the painting utilizes the same subjects as the practitioners of the above-mentioned genre but does not glorify the pursuit of worldly esotericism, and instead recommends seeking a higher power from more traditional sources. This is also confirmed by the way in which Vene has decided to depict the girls’ bodies, making them appear not erotic but rather as symbols based on dolls, despite their nudity.

Text: Kaspar Allik