Kaido Ole

Biography of Kaido Ole

Kaido Ole's artistic journey commenced at the Estonian Academy of Arts, where he studied design and painting from 1982 to 1992. This formal education period laid the foundation for his artistic exploration. Notably, he also served as a drawing and painting teacher at the academy and later held the position of professor in the painting department from 2003 to 2010.

Since 2010, Kaido Ole has embraced the life of a freelance artist. He is a member of the Estonian Artists' Association and has received several awards, including the Kristjan Raud Prize in 1998, the Konrad Mägi Prize in 2012, and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia awards in 1999 and 2005. Additionally, he has been honored with the Order of the White Star III class, among other distinctions.

Kaido Ole's art has graced exhibitions around the world. Some of the recent shows include "A Sparrow in the Hand" with Benjamin Badock in Tallinn Art Hall Gallery (2020), a solo retrospective "Dance at the Lonely Hearts Club" at the Latvian National Museum of Art in Riga (2019), and many more.

His art has left an indelible mark on the global art scene. Notably, in 2003, he had the honor of representing Estonia at the 50th Venice Biennale, sharing the spotlight with fellow artist Marko Mäetamm under the intriguing alias, John Smith.

Kaido Ole's Art Style

Conceptual painting forms the core of Kaido Ole's artistic practice. While his large paintings exhibit intricate precision, almost resembling machine-made creations, he also expresses a keen interest in the errors that can arise during the craftsmanship and painting process. Ole's artistry is marked by theatrical and contentious narratives that skillfully blend techniques from various painting styles, ranging from geometric abstractionism to pop art and nouveau réalisme.

Rather than directly addressing contemporary events, Ole's paintings delve into the broader power dynamics between individuals or the artist and his own work. These power dynamics, however, are always presented in an ambiguous, absurd, and often humorous manner. To enact the conflicts within these narratives, Kaido Ole employs a range of characters, including his own figure, a comic-book-like bubblehead-man, and various surrealist assemblage-creatures introduced since 2012.