In collaboration with the local textile design studio MIURIO, Malle Leis Estate presents a unique collection of silk accessories based on the works of the legendary Estonian oil painter and graphic artist Malle Leis. Leis’s expressive and colourful creation has captivated art enthusiasts for many decades. Her works can be found in numerous private collections as well as in 14 different museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Museum of Greece, the Zimmerli Art Museum in the USA and many more. Now, Leis’s art is available in a completely new form.
In the early 1970s, during the first half of her career as a graphic artist, Malle Leis began consistently using the novel technique of serigraphy. It is mainly from this period that the lushly coloured works were selected and authentically printed on high-quality silk scarves. The first joint collection by MIURIO and the Malle Leis Estate comprises five pieces: “Flowers XLVII,” “Flowers LXII,” “Potatoes,” “Võrumaa,” and “Tulips.” Sandra Jõgeva, one of the founders of Malle Leis Estate, explains the background of the selection: “We chose the works in cooperation with Rita Assor, who shared with us her long-term experience in manufacturing such products. She has been a great help in deciding which art pieces are just right for a silk scarf.” Jõgeva adds: “So far our cooperation with the studio MIURIO has been quick, solution-oriented and creative. I’m glad that the journey from the idea – to make silk scarves using the artworks by Malle Leis – has been short, but intense.” This fall, among other interior accessories there will be released handmade rugs and designer wallpapers.
Malle Leis as a Colourful Phenomenon in the Industrialising World
During the Soviet period, Jüri Arrak, Malle Leis, and Leonhard Lapin emerged as the most sought-after artists. Leis’s work is often noted for its sincere interest and unique fondness for colourful natural motifs, somewhat in contrast to the spirit of industrialization. By the way, in 1989 her solo exhibition featuring 60 paintings remains the largest known exhibition by an Estonian artist in the USA. Leis, who has been awarded with the Order of the White Star IV Class, was the only Eastern European artist to belong to the Society of Botanical Artists (SBA) in the UK for nearly two decades. Her works have also been sold at Sotheby’s, one of the world’s largest auction platforms of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, and collectibles. Notably, Malle Leis is the only artist living in Estonia whose paintings have been sold there.
Precious Art on Luxurious Silk
Malle Leis Estate also makes giclées of the artist’s works, which are extremely high-quality, numbered and limited reproductions. They are printed on acid-free paper with special ink. The basis of the giclée prints are digitised photos with extremely high resolution, which are shot in a professional studio. The same photos are also the basis for the silk scarves. Meaning, these are not just simply floral scarves, but very high-quality reproductions on feather-soft silk, which can now also be worn around your neck.
The design studio MIURIO has already collaborated with many companies, including Kaubamaja, Merko Ehitus, the Kumu Art Museum, the Ateneum Art Museum, Tradehouse, fashion brands Karolin Kuusik, Naked Spirit and Human Highness, and many more. The brand’s creations have been gifted by many prestigious organisations to their esteemed colleagues and distinguished foreign guests. Previously, a whole collection of luxurious hand-tufted and Tibetan hand-knotted rugs and silk accessories for both women and men was created at the request of the legendary Estonian artist Jüri Arrak.
Rita Assor, founder and designer of the MIURIO brand has said: “I live and breathe art, my desire is to bring it closer to people.”
The unique silk scarves produced by MIURIO studio based on Malle Leis’s art can be viewed on the Malle Leis Estate’s website at malleleis.ee.
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