Okas Ewald Karlovich

Okas Ewald Karlovich (Estonian Evald Okas; November 15 (28), 1915, Revel, Russian Empire – April 30, 2011, Tallinn, Estonia) – Soviet and Estonian artist-painter, graphic artist, teacher. People’s Artist of the USSR (1963), Hero of Socialist Labor (1985).

Biography of Okas Ewald Karlovich

Born on November 15 (28), 1915 in Reval (now Tallinn, Estonia)

Evald Okas (1915-2011) – Soviet and Estonian artist-painter, graphic artist and worker of decorative and applied arts.

Ewald Okas was born on November 28 (15 old style) November 1915 in the city of Revel (now Tallinn), Estland province of the Russian Empire.

EK Okas received his artistic education at the “Higher State School of Arts” in Tallinn, which he graduated in 1941.

The work of Ewald Karlovich Okas was represented by industrial and urban landscapes, portraits of his Soviet contemporaries, works on the history of the Estonian people, as well as a large number of graphic bookplates made to order.
From 1944 to 1993, Ewald Okas was engaged in art and teaching activities, working at the “State Institute of Arts of the Estonian SSR”.
Evald Karlovich Okas died on April 30, 2011 in Tallinn.

During the war years, as part of the Soviet army, he was a member of the collective of Estonian artists in Yaroslavl.

The author of thematic compositions, industrial landscapes and portraits, he also worked in the field of monumental painting and decorative and applied art. Illustrated Estonian folk epos and works of Estonian fiction. His work is characterized by: the sharpness of typification, the dramatic nature of the narrative, the dynamics of compositional and textured techniques.

Member of the USSR Academy of Arts (1975).

Founding member of the Union of Artists of the Estonian SSR (1943). Honorary member of the Leningrad Society of Ex-libris and Graphics (1972).

Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR 9-10 convocations (1975-1984). Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR (1963-1971), member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR (1970).

He was included in the list of 100 great figures of Estonia of the 20th century, compiled according to the results of written and online voting (1999).

He died on April 30, 2011 in Tallinn. Buried at the Forest Cemetery.

Family

Son – Juri Okas (b. 1950), architect, artist.

Awards and titles

1. Hero of Socialist Labor (1985)
2. Honored Artist of the Estonian SSR (1957)
3. People’s Artist of the Estonian SSR (1960)
4. People’s Artist of the USSR (1963)
5. State Prize of the Estonian SSR:
6. 1947 – for creative activity during the Great
   Patriotic War
7. 1949 – for the plafond “Estonia” at the State Opera and Ballet Theater of the Estonian SSR in Tallinn (1948), performed jointly with R. Sagrits and E. Keats
8. 1950 – for the decoration of the crystal vase
9. 1959 – for the painting “The Liberation of Estonia from the Fascist Invaders” and graphic series dedicated to trips to Belgium and Holland
10. 1965 – for the graphic series “Lenin” (1965), “Italian impressions” (1961), “Paris”, “Industrial landscapes” (1961) and pictures “Japanese village”, “Old woman from Hiroshima”
11. 1979 – for the cycle “City and Artist” (1979)
12. Two Orders of Lenin (1965, 1985)
13. Order of the October Revolution (1975)
14. Red Banner of Labor (1956)
15. Order of the White Star, 3rd class (Estonia, 2006)
16. Medal “For Labor Valor” (1950)
17. 

    Estonian Red Army men at a reception with Lenin and Stalin. 1950-51 (co-author E.Ya. Keats)

    Veteran of Labor Medal

18. Medal “In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin”
19. Honorary Academician of the Florentine Academy of Fine Arts (1963)
20. Prize of the 4th International Exhibition of Graphics in Ljubljana (1961) – for the graphic sheet “Gas Plant” (1959) from the series “Oil shale industry of the Estonian SSR”
21. Silver medal of the Academy of Arts of the USSR (1962) – for a series of lithographs “Kalevipoeg” (1961) and travel notes in Italy (1961), as well as an engraving “Construction of a cement plant” (1961)
    Big Silver Medal (1962) – for participation in the art exhibition of the Exhibition of Economic Achievements of the USSR
22. Silver medal. M. B. Grekov (1973) – for creative work on the theme of the Great Patriotic War and for illustrations to the works of M. A. Sholokhov (1945-1973)
    K. Raud Prize (1985) – for the paintings “Building a Factory” (1979), “Defeat” (1979), “1940 in Estonia” (1980), “Artists” (1981), “Our Children” (1984)
23. Estonian National Cultural Foundation Prize (2000) – Lifetime Achievement
24. Honorary Citizen of Haapsalu (2006).

Memory

In 2003, the E. Okas Museum of Art was opened in Haapsalu.