Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on cardboard. 1967.
Signature: V. OHAKAS 67

Valdur Ohakas (1925-1998), who experimented with several modes of expression in the 1960s, was also interested in Cubism, typical of his generation. In the catalogue of the exhibition dedicated to the artist’s 100th birthday, Mai Levin writes: “Sometimes Ohakas’ still life paintings have a resolute geometric articulation and, next to black and white, particularly intensely striking red and blue colour surfaces /…/ Of these, “Music” with the violin curves so beloved by the Cubists deserves to be highlighted.” (p. 19, Allee Gallery, 2025).

In addition to its cubist approach, the work is also rare in its interpretation of the genre in Estonian art in general. Constructively dissecting and deforming the violin motif, the work can be seen as a tribute to Picasso and Braque but the coloristic subtlety connects Ohakas’ painting with a Palladian approach to color. The work also contains connotations of the female figure, making it one of Ohakas’ most exciting and multi-layered works of the 1960s.

Text: Harry Liivrand