Painting exhibition by Urmo Raus in the Delta study building

In the Delta study building, you can admire the new painting exhibition "Paternoster Square", where the artist Urmo Raus presents his works. The author also exhibits his series of paintings created in recent years: a selection of paintings of the Capri series (2021–2022) and the Liivi series (2022–2023). The exhibition in Delta is also a premiere and the first presentation of the artist's new creations, which the author brings to the public for the first time.

The small Paternoster Square is next to St Paul's Cathedral in London. According to Urmo Raus, the Delta centre is like the Paternoster Square of the City of Tartu. "The exhibition features various series of paintings I have done over the past few years, inspired by different places with deep cultural layers and meaning. In my paintings, I have tried to interpret and decipher the spirit of place," explains Raus. Read more about the author's reflections on how the exhibition's title emerged and Urmo Raus's introduction to the Capri series and the Liivi series.

In the Capri series, the author combines Oriental aesthetics and spirituality with Italian landscapes and history. Vesuvius rising over the sea from Capri is repeated in several paintings, which, together with the mythical history of the island, inspired the artist to write travel memoirs. With his paintings, Urmo Raus continues the legacy of artists who made drawings and watercolours of the island of Capri a hundred years ago.

The Liivi series was born from the artist's connection with Livonia. The artist's maternal grandfather, Karlis Lusis, came from Latvia and was probably a native Livonian of Salatsi. The beaches of Livonia, from Häädemeeste to Saulkrasti, were the artist's childhood dreams. The Liivi series has been exhibited at the joint exhibition "liiv-liivi" (2023, Rüki gallery) with the artist Andres Koort in Viljandi. The Livonian Institute of the University of Latvia, in cooperation with the UNESCO Latvian National Commission and the Latvian National Cultural Center, declared 2023 the Year of Livonian Cultural Heritage to promote Latvia's Livonian culture and language. The exhibition was part of the Livonian Heritage Year programme.

Urmo Raus (b. 1969) is an Estonian painter. He studied painting in Tallinn (Estonian Academy of Arts, 1989-1991) and Paris (Ecole National Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, 1991-1996). His artworks have received several awards in Estonia and France. In addition to paintings and graphics, he has created numerous stained glass and monumental works of art for churches and public spaces and has written travel memoirs and cultural articles. His works are in Estonian, Dutch, and French museums and many private collections.