Cynthia Kukla, art professor at Illinois State University, has just returned from Europe where she participated in two prestigious events. Kukla was featured in “Manu Propria,” the Tallinn Drawing Triennial with 50 other artists from around the world. Manu propria translated from Latin means “by the hand,” and artists were chosen who still use classical drawing methods.
The Tallinn Drawing Triennial took place at the National Library in Tallinn, Estonia, other galleries throughout Tallinn and at the Viinistu Museum in Viinistu, Estonia. The event lasted for six weeks and displayed four of Kukla’s pieces as part of the festival. Her four-piece series is titled “Objects without Prejudice,” that she began while residing in Geneva, Switzerland. She was also asked to give a lecture at the Tallinn Academy of Art, also called “Archeology of Meaning.”
Kukla was also chosen to teach a master’s class as part of the Joonistamismaraton (Drawing Marathon) and had two separate locations, a harbor on the Baltic Sea, and at the Tallinn Academy of Art. “In the harbor scene, where I began my master class, we were working with odd, natural and found materials to begin our drawings and then going back to the Academy to continue,” she said. “With Tallinn’s location on the Baltic, I wanted the students to have a hands-on experience to initiate their drawings. I wanted them to leave the comfort zone of the classroom and work with any materials they could find in the harbor.” A video presentation of her class was featured at the end of the session.
Kukla said she is grateful for her opportunity to participate in such an extraordinary event, as well as the opportunity to meet many amazing artists from around the globe. “Everyone was wonderful to meet in person,” she said. “Not only was everyone friendly, but we all had a common interest so we were able to share with each other and learn a great deal from each other as well.” She also spent time during her visit researching Nordic mythic and folkloric iconography at the National Library. This was a rare opportunity to study mythology that she often draws inspiration from in her artwork. Kukla ended her trip by attending the Venice Biennale, which is the oldest and most prestigious international art exhibition.
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