Ellinor Aiki (11 January 1893 – 25 October 1969)[1] was an Estonian painter who is possibly best recalled for her works in later life of vibrant and colorful, heavily textured portraits, landscapes and compositions interspersed with whimsical motifs.
[2] At age six she suffered a debilitating fall which resulted in her contracting a severe case of bone and joint tuberculosis that would render her bedridden for nearly six years and plague her throughout her life.
[3] She graduated from secondary school in Pärnu in 1909, after which she worked as a children's hospital attendant and teacher and studied in St. Petersburg, Ukraine and Belarus until 1917 when she returned to Estonia.
[5] Up until her ban from producing art, her ouvre had consisted mainly of paintings of still lifes, portraits, cityscapes and landscapes in rather somber, muted hues.
[6] It was not until after her ban by authorities had been lifted in 1957 that Aiki's work become more popular, as her ouvre had changed from somewhat bleak paintings in funereal tones to vivid, bold colored, heavily textured paintings that often incorporated images of fantasy and whimsy; Aiki's work from the early 1960s onward would often include bright oranges, greens and purples.