Michalis Manoussakis (Greece)
Michalis Manoussakis was born in 1953 in Crete. Gratuated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Athens (1984), he started his creative carreer as freelancer. Working in the solitary studio was not enough, so since 1987 the artist has been teaching in the same school whose diploma he has in his pocket.
Manoussakis has exhibited his work in Athens, Geneva, London, Nicosia, Thessalonica. Now he lives in Athens.
Manoussakis paints on natural wooden boards and usually leaves the human body unpainted. He believes that humans and trees have to fulfil the responsible role of life's continuity.
His heroes are always naked. Clothes would bind them to a certain era. But as nudes they are bejond time.
The artist uses circle as the male symbol in which he places the transmitter of life - the woman.
Many of Manoussakis' paintings reflect the ethic rules of Ancient Greece.
In the summer of 2004 there are 15 Manoussakis' new paintings to be seen in Pärnu.

Nikos Markou (Greece)
Nikos Markou was born in 1959 in Athens. As youth he studied mathematics at the University of Athens (1978-82), but he chose artistic photography as a profession. His works of art, perhaps due to his studies of mathematics, are often based on geometrical composition.
The artist worked as a teacher at Focus’ Photo School in 1985-98, concentrating afterwards only on freelance photographer's lifestyle.
His most important prizes are Press Photo1984 (Charleroi, Belgium), Air France 1986, Kodak 1990, Fuji-Europe 1993.
Now the artist lives in Athens.
The series "Gas Factory" is created in 1982. The factory where men had a hard and dirty job, does no longer exist. It has become the centre of modern art of Athens...
The photo "Triopetra" belongs to the series "Geometries" and is photographed on the 24th of August 1998 in Crete.

Nikos Navridis (Greece)
Nikos Navridis was born in 1958 in Athens. He studied architecture at the National Polytechnic University and fine arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Athens.
Now he works as a freelance video artist in Athens.
The most important international solo exhibitions: Sao Paolo Biennale 1996, Istanbul Biennale 1997, Art Cologne 1997, ARCO 99 Madrid, Venezia Biennale 2001.
His work of two nudes fighing with balloons "The Traps" was shown in Tallinn in 1998 as a part of an international travelling exhibition "Medialization".
Nikos Navridis is interested in the fragrant existence of human life. He often uses audio-video image of human breath to handle his favourite subject.
"On Life Beauty Translations And Other Difficulties" in the "Man and Woman" exhibition consists of four video screens where the developing images are filmed from the iside of balloons. The spectator can identify him/herself with the substance into which the gods are blowing the living breath. But as every work of a great artist, this masterpiece of Navridis allows many possible interpretations.

Kamera Skura (Czech Republic)
The three Czech youngsters don't think it's important to make their names, years of birth or educational path known.
Their creative group is born in 1996 in Ostrava. The name associates with "kamera obscura" which was the predecessor of a photo camera. The beam of light which penetrates the narrow opening in a black box formed an upside down image of the outer world.
The artists of Kamera Skura try to turn the life upside down or place things vice versa.
Kamera Skura has been in many international exhibitions. But their greatest success is the breakthrough to Venezia Biennale in 2003 (together with the Slovak group Kung-Fu) with "Superstart" where the Christ-sportsman hanging from the starry sky is fervoured by the audience on two huge screens. It is not yet possible to exhibit this complicated installation in Pärnu but we hope to show the artwork after the second stage of reconstruction.
Kamera Skura also shows colour photo series "Movie Stars", black and white series "Total Bruntal", a sketch photo for "Superstart" and videoinformation about the installation.

Jaan Toomik (Estonia)
Jaan Toomik was born in 1961 in Tartu.
He studied painting in the Estonian Academy of Arts in 1985-91.
Since 1995 he works as a drawing teacher in the same academy.
Now he lives in Tallinn where he paints and works as a video artist.
The most important international exhibitions where Jaan Toomik has shown his work:
Sao Paolo Biennale 1994
Art Cologne 1995
ARS 95, Helsinki
Santa Fe Biennale 1997
Venezia Biennale 1997 ja 2003
Jaan Toomik is a tenderhearted artist whose artwork conceals many lower layers. His installations drag the cover from the superficiality, carelessness (A Bed 75, In the Rain and Sun, A Line etc). But at the same time it would be wrong to label Toomik's work as social manifestation.
His work reflects rather the loneliness of a creator, his braveness not to be recognized in public, to be a human being and an artist just as life has shaped him.
The video "Father and Son" is created in 1995. Although it is one of his most frequently shown artworks in the world, the audience of Pärnu can see it for the first time. Skating naked on the frozen bay of the sea, the artist is especially open-minded in his self portrayal.
The heading does not say if the skater is the father or the son. But let's have a more attentive look at the screen and maybe we recognize that both can be hidden in one person.

Kaljo Põllu (Estonia)
Kaljo Põllu is born in 1934 in Hiiumaa.
The artist has graduated as a schoolmaster (the Pedagogical School of Haapsalu 1949-53) and worked as a teacher at Külitse in Tartu region. As a young man Kaljo Põllu was not quite sure in his choice of profession and so he began to study choir conducting at Tartu Music School. In 1956-62 he studied glasswork at the Estonian Academy of Arts. During 1962-1975 the artist worked as the director of the Art Studio of Tartu University.
At the same period he was the leader of art group called "Visarid". Since 1975 he teaches drawing at the Estonian Academy of Arts. He has made about ten expeditions to the Fenno Ugric peoples in Siberia and in the Nordic countries. Kaljo Põllu is one of the pioneers of Estonian op-art and has remained loyal to this painting style. Now he is leading an artists' group named "Ydi" and he works as a freelancer graphic artist in Tallinn.
Kaljo Põllu has brought some colour into the black and white mythological fenno-ugric graphics in his new mezzotint series. To be quite true, his colouring is subdued but it can't be said about the erotic elements...

Lembit Sarapuu (Estonia)
Lembit Sarapuu was born in 1930 in Tallinn.
He studied painting at the Estonian Academy of Arts (1955-61).
Lembit Sarapuu has worked as an art teacher at the 18th Secondary School of Tallinn as well as the Tallinn Pedagogical University.
Now he lives in Tallinn and works as a freelancer.
His solo exhibitions have been held in Tallinn, Tartu, Helsinki. The most important international exhibitions where he has shown his work: A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Rauma Biennale 1994, Tallinn-Moscow 1996, Personal Time – Warsaw, Petersburg 1996, Painting Triennial Sofia 1996.
Lembit Sarapuu is one of the most important mythologists of postmodernist Estonian art.
His deep interest in hellenic mythology, good knowlegde about the old Estonian beliefs and love of the stories of Kalevipoeg has paved way to the birth of the paintings where the beliefs of the two far nations intertwine.
Characterizing Sarapuu's artwork, art critic Reet Varblane has hit the nail on the head: "Sarapuu's art manipulates with the body as a natural means of cognition: the body feels, sees, hears, smells, senses and perceives the world.
Psycho-analytically, the body can be interpreted through the narcissist self-centredness – admiration and identification with any other body."
In recent years Sarapuu has been modest in carrying on with the myths and legends. That is why we show mainly his artwork from the collections of Tallinn Art Hall and the Estonian Art Museum.

Kauri Kallas (Estonia)
Kauri Kallas was born in 1976 in Tallinn. He got his basic education at Pärnu-Jaagupi and graduated from secondary school at Kilingi-Nõmme. Painting became his favourite subject at the art studio of Kilingi-Nõmme.
At the Estonian Art Academy he studied ceramics. "Magic Bolls" is his diploma work. It was completed in the spring of 2004 and got the maximum grade "A".
The artist wants to say that a human being should investigate his/her inner mind. There is no sense in looking for perfection from the outer world. Perfection is hidden in every persons own heart.
The author of the sound composition of the installation is Kaido Kirikmäe (born in 1973 at Türi)

Ilme and Riho Kuld (Estonia)
Ilme Kuld (born in 1938 at Mooste) and Riho Kuld (born in 1936 in Tallinn), have both graduated from the Estonian Art Academy and work as freelance sculptors. athey are the authors of many nationally recognized artworks. The first ones to come into mind are Riho Kuld's "Radio Dove" at the facade of Estonian Radio and Ilme Kuld's "Care" over the main entrance of the family doctors' centre in Pärnu.
In recent years they both have worked and exhibited their work at many international sculpture symposions in France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Finland and elsewhere.
At "Man and Woman" they exhibit two of their sculptures. Ilme Kuld's bronze figure "The 21st Century" is completed in 1994 and Riho Kuld's "Spurt" was cast in bronze in 1985.
There is reason enough for Riho Kuld to consider himself to be a citizen of Pärnu, because he studied at the Pärnu Lydia Koidula Secondary School under the guidance of an art teacher Meeta Viks.