Tarrvi Laamann’s exhibition “Impulse”

“The works for this exhibition came out very colorful and with great contrasts describing life in Jamaica quite exactly, inspired by the inhabitants of the island and the lush nature there – the warm sun and the Caribbean Sea. I have taken my impulse directly from nature and the local culture – I printed the leaves of mango, almond and banana tree on the canvas, and pasted cut-outs from the local newspaper on it. The last layer is covered in the very Jamaican colors in acrylic, which is flowing and pulsating on the canvas similar to the local folk music – in reggae rhythm,” describes Tarrvi his latest creation.

The series of paintings completed in Jamaica is already among the many times where the artist takes his impulse from the local culture and describes the surroundings to the viewer through his own visual language. One of the peculiarities of Tarrvi’s creation is that the original source is often visible in the work – may it be the scribbles of the children of India, the woodcuts made in Havana, or the print of local plant leaves from Jamaica. The artist hides or contrasts the various initial impulses and symbols, and then integrates them into a single work with a very good compositional and color sense. Tarrvi is always moving forward, experimenting and searching for new ways of expression, ending with works in a distinctive and recognizable language. The common denominator of his creation is the color and Tarrvinism in a completely positive reggae rhythm.

Tarrvi Laamann (born 29.11.1973) is an Estonian-born artist and traveler who has made his second home in Jamaica for the last couple of decades. Tarrvi has received art education at the Estonian Academy of Arts (1998 BA, 2000 MFA) and has studied in Japan and India. Tarrvi is a guest lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Arts and in Tartu Pallas.