Evald Okas
(1915–2011)
Woman Artist. 1962
Drypoint, aquatint. Plm 49.5 x 31.7 cm (framed)
price 5 900
Evald Okas’ oeuvre always shows a respectful attitude towards women, whether they are portrayed as nudes or as professionals, in this case as painters. The body language, the gaze, the clothing, and the background of the period create the idea of a strong personality painting. However, the title Naiskunstnik (Female Artist), when read in 2023, sounds like a nice retro, evoking the vernacular of 1962, which in turn was influenced by the modernist art paradigm of its time. According to this view, good artists were always and only men, and painting was at the top of the hierarchy. Art history books were also written based on the work of men. When referring to a female artist, it was considered necessary to use the word ‘female artist’. The feminist movement in Estonia in the 1990s began to fight against this distinction, advocating the generic term ‘artist’ for both men and women. Thus, today, all good painters, regardless of gender, are artists; however, the word ‘female artist’ is used in a neutral descriptive context where appropriate. Evald Okas’ graphic sheet does not seem to portray a specific person, but rather a generalisation, as the title suggests. Perhaps, however, a little of Aino Bach’s state of being and self-awareness shines through here?