Olev Subbi

Estonian painter, graphic artist, decorator, teacher. Born in the family of Johannes Subbi (1888–1942) and Ella Pauline Ruusmann (1892–1966) in the city of Tartu in south-east Estonia (1930). Studied at the Riiklik Tarbekunsti Instituut in Tallinn (1948–49). Deported to Krasnoyarsk in Siberia as part of Operation Priboi (1949–57). Returned to Tartu (1957), where he worked briefly as a carpenter at the Puit Furniture Factory (1957), before resuming his studies at the Eesti NSV Riiklik Kunstiinstituut in Tallinn (1957–62). Worked as a decorator at Kaubamaja in Tallinn (1962–65) and as a freelance artist (1965–88). Taught painting at the Eesti NSV Riiklik Kunstiinstituut in Tallinn (1988–89). Honoured Artist of Estonia (1976), People’s Artist of Estonia (1987). Awarded a diploma by the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1987), corresponding member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1988). Died and buried in Tallinn (2013). Contributed to exhibitions (from 1961), including Times of Change: Art in the Soviet Union (1960–85) at the Russian Museum in St Petersburg (2006) and one-man shows in Tallinn (1969, 1978, 1992, 1998, 2000), Moscow (1971), Novosibirsk (1974), Volgograd (1980), Tartu (1982), Helsinki (1986), Storm Lake (1991) and Cologne (1995).