Folk Tradition and Artistic Inspiration

In the course of her dissertation, the author conducted fieldwork in Estonian villages (1999-2005), interviewing outstanding bearers of tradition. This material became a basis for three jewelry exhibitions as she looked for innovative ways to generate inspiration. This book and the exhibitions Childhood and Girlhood (2000), Young woman. Motherhood (2001) and Wise Old Woman (2003) are based on field interviews with two talented bearers of tradition Anne Kõivo and Rosaali Karjam. Their arcs of life, their relationship with handicraft and the traditional way of thinking teach us to see this invisible tie, expressed by a traditional community through visual communication.

Through their work Anne and Roosi remember women’s secrets. In their creative work, they arrange emotionally potent narratives in the patterns on clothing and in songs. When Anne speaks about her ornaments, her whole arc of life comes to life, together with its pattern and colours. Anne carries her songs, thoughts and the wisdom of her foremothers as proudly as her ornament collection. We can see that there is a whole world of relations and customs behind Rosaali’s patterns and a more attentive listener could even see them in one´s imagination.

Summatavet studied the ornaments of traditional crafts, probing what could be achieved in ornamental jewellery using contemporary technology and the technique of digitalization. The experiments to combine tradition and innovation won a Silver Medal of the Korea International Women’s Invention Exposition’2008 in Seoul and Recognition Award 2007 of the European Union Women Inventors and Innovators Network EUWIIN in Berlin.

Kärt Summatavet, PhD, is a jeweller, graphic artist and designer. She has participated at numerous exhibitions. She has taught design students in Estonia, Finland and China, and supervised many internationally successful creativity and product development projects. Her academic research areas involve traditional technologies, product development, creative industries and culture.

Summatavet’s books based on this dissertation:

Summatavet, K. (2017). Loomise vägi. Kihnu Roosi käsitöökogu. Tallinn: EHEsummatavet OÜ

Summatavet, K. (2010). My History. The letters of Kihnu Roosi. Viljandi-Tallinn-Tartu: University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy, Varrak Publishers, Estonian Literary Museum Scolarly Press

Summatavet, K. (2010). Minu ajalugu. Kihnu Roosi käsitöökogu. Viljandi-Tallinn-Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli Viljandi Kultuuriakadeemia, Kirjastus Varrak, Eesti Kirjandusmuuseumi Teaduskirjastus

Summatavet, K., Karjam, R. (2008). Kihnu Roosi kindakirjad. Tallinn, Viljandi: Ajakirjade Kirjastus, Tartu Ülikooli Viljandi Kultuuriakadeemia