Ei saa ma end pidada tegelikult mingiks “diibiks kunstiinimeseks”, kuid mulle tõesti meeldib maalikunst, üks minu vaieldamatuid lemmikuid on Norra kunstnik Jakob Weidemann. Maihaugenis asuvas Jakob Weidemanni toas võin ma päris pikalt aega veeta. See mõjub kuidagi nii rahustavalt. Nagu kõik Weidemanni maalid mulle tegelikult mõjuvad. Paljud on öelnud, et see on midagi sellist, mida laps ka oskaks joonistada, aga inimesed, kes nii ütlevad, ei tea lihtsalt kunstist mitte midagi. Tema maalides on oluline osa valgusel ja looduse “häälel”.  Ta ise on oma maalide kohta öelnud nii: “Light is a conscious part of my philosophy, my answer to life. I seek the light and the quiet voice which are special to nature, precisely because of the chaos the world is in today. I bring light to bear on all the forces I dislike.” 

Kuidas ma Weidemanni armusin? 1997.aastal sattusin ma vahetusõpilasena peredesse, kus kunst, kunstiajalugu ja kultuur oli väga hinnatud. Esimene perekond olid kunstikollektsionäärid, kelle kodu seinad olid kaunistatud ikooniliste Norra kunsnike töödega (Lars Jordest Jakob Weidemannini) ja teise perekonna parimate sõprade hulka kuulusid nii Jakob Weidemann kui näiteks kirjanikepaar Brit ja Oddvard Rakeng, kes samuti Weidemanniga “sina peal” olid (LINK). Nii tuligi mu ellu Weidemann.

Seos minu, Weidemanni ja Briti ning Oddvardiga?

Samaaegselt tulid mu ellu ka Brit ja Oddvard. 20 aastat tagasi kohtusin ma nendega esimest korda, kuid kontakti oleme me hoidnud kogu aeg. Nemad on aidanud mul teha üllatusvisiite nii Kari kui Knuti (üks minu Norra perekond) juubelitele, kui lihtsalt hoidnud mind kursis kõige põnevaga, mis Lillehammeri kunsti- ja kultuurimaailmas toimub.

Nagu te aru saate, siis on tegu minust natukene vanemate inimestega, kuid mul on nii suur au ja rõõm neid oma sõpradeks kutsuda. Nad elasid tillukeses tikutoosimajakeses Lillehammeri keskkooli kõrval ja mina ja Faylyn jooksime aegajalt ikka nende juurest läbi, et nendega lobiseda. Juba 16-aastasena tundusid nad mulle nii inspireerivad  ja huvitavad, teistsugused. DIIBID KUNSTIINIMESED (erinevalt wannabe’dest). Kui ma paar aastat peale vahetusõpilase aastat Lillehammerisse kunstiajalugu tulin õppima, veetsin ma nii mõnegi reede nendel külas, kuulates nende põnevaid lugusid, mõnikord ka veiniklaasi taga. Veider, kuidas vanusevahest hoolimata oleme me alati klappinud. Umbes neli-viis inimest kutsub mind Norras “Lisa”, Brit ja Oddvard on nende hulgas.

(Britt) Ida oli tädi Briti punupatsidest eile nii vaimustuses – selgitades mulle, et tädi nimi ei ole Brit, vaid see peab olema Pipi – et täna nõudis ta ka pipipatse. Millegi pärast peavad aga tema pipipatsid olema just sellised. Hobusesabad.

Vahetusõpilaseks olemine on MULLE igatahes nii palju andnud. Lisaks teadmistele, keelele ja laiemale silmaringile ka uskumatult värvikaid sõpru ja tuttavaid.

//I have always called myself a “deep artistic person” (or actually my sister gave me this name when we were arguing once), but in reality I am not deep or artistic at all, I just like art. One of my favorite painters is a Norwegian painter Jakob Weidemann. I fell in love with his works in 1997 when I came to Norway as an exchange student. I was lucky to get hostfamilies who were really into art, art history, cultural history. Britt and Arne were art collectors (walls covered with paintings from Lars Jorde to Jaokob Weidemann) and the second family, county gouvernor and his lovely wife, was close friends to Jakob Weidemann. I got a real personal relation (without actually meeting the painter himself) to this painter. This is how he entered my life. 

Thanks to the second family also two wonderful authors – Brit and Oddvard Rakeng – entered my life. As you can see they are a bit older than I am, but I am so blessed and honoured to be able to call them my friends. What’s the connection to Weidemann, them and me? They were also close friends to him, Oddvard as a journalist had followed the painter through 30 years and we often had discussion about him. I used to love visiting their tiny house, have a glass of wine and hear their stories. It is almost funny how despite the age difference I have always felt very connected to them, on the same wave length or so. They have always been so inspiring, different, colourful and artistic. Real deep artistic persons. 

Yesterday we had coffee together and seems they were inspiring to Ida as well. (Britt) Ida was facinated by Brit’s  Pippi-braids (and refused to believe that she  is called Brit, not Pippi) and insisted on having Pippi-braids as well this morning. Although in reality her Pippi-braids have to look like ponytales. She wanted to be like  Pippi-Brit today. 

Being an exchange student has given me so much, not just the language skill(s) and wider eyesight, but also the most interesting friends.