Edith Karlson
Edith Karlson (b. 1983) is an Estonian artist based in Tallinn. She acquired her BA (2006) and MA (2008) degrees at the Installation and Sculpture department of Estonian Academy of Arts.
In Karlson's sculptural practice, animals and people are the main protagonists. Her often large-scale sculptural pieces produced by means of mixed techniques show a variety of characters, from ceramic dogs to cement dinosaurs and Neanderthals, composed into intricate installations. Karlson has shown extensively in Estonia and been part of several exhibitions abroad.
Her recent exhibitions include Estonian Pavilion "Hora Lupi", 60th Venice Biennial (2024); "Return to Innocence", Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn (2021); "Roots and Ruins", Temnikova & Kasela, Tallinn (2020); "Sisters", with Mall Paris, Tallinn Art Hall Gallery (2019-2020); "Do Come in, the Door is Open!", with Mary Reid Kelley and Eva Mustonen, KUMU Art Museum, Tallinn (2019-2020); "The End", with Dan Mitchell, Temnikova & Kasela, Tallinn (2019); “Drama is in Your Head V”, Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig (2018); “Hudnoi”, with Jass Kaselaan, Temnikova & Kasela, Tallinn (2017–2018); “Vox Populi”, Tallinn City Gallery (2016); “Beaten Up By A Thug, Saved By Kindness” with Kris Lemsalu, Michèle Pagel, Ben Washington, Amatorska gallery, London (2015); and “Drama Is In Your Head IV: Don’t Look Down”, Temnikova & Kasela, Tallinn (2014).
Karlson has collaborated on projects with art collective Gelitin and British artist Sarah Lucas, including “Loch”, 21er Haus, Museum of Contemporary Art, Vienna (2013); "Lucas Bosch Gelatin”, Kunsthalle Krems (2011). She assisted Lucas in the production of the artist’s installation for the British Pavillion at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015.
Selected works
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Doomsday
silicone 160×160cm 2019
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Doomsday
silicone 75×98cm 2017
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Return to Innocence
ceramics 19×37cm 2021
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Doomsday
porcelain, metal, led light, weight - 60kg 200×80×80cm 2017 - 2024
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Short Story
plastic, skeleton, polyester mucilage 176×99×103cm 2019
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Family
concrete, metal, mixed media, dimensions variable, height approx 120cm 2019
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The End
concrete, styrox, iron 200×70×60cm 2019
![3153.{$ext}](/axs_site/content/module.art/3153._.jpg?v=1629541628)
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The Good Old Days
aluminum 480×150×600cm 2021
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Kolja
Terracota, jesmonite 20×25×30cm 2022
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Snake
ceramics 2021
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Snake
ceramics 2021
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Vox Populi
ceramics 20×15×15cm 2020
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Vox Populi
ceramics 24×17×14cm 2021
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Vox Populi
ceramics 18×12×12cm 2018
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Vox Populi
ceramics 17×10×8cm 2018
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Vox Populi
ceramics 10×10×8cm 2018
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Vox Populi
ceramics 22×20×6cm 2018
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Vox Populi
ceramics 22×22×12cm 2018
![3469.{$ext}](/axs_site/content/module.art/3469._.jpg?v=1706791420)