Anu Põder

Anu Põder  (1947–2013, Estonia) was a sculptor whose practice remained relatively  unknown to an international audience until recently. Interested in the fragility and  impermanence or human-like ‘lifespan’ of materials, Põder favoured the use of textile, wax, plaster, soap, glue, plastic and wood throughout her artistic career. She began  working in the 1970s within the context of a so-called ‘bronze age’ within Estonian art,  when the visual language of heavy and solid materials such as bronze and granite was  dominant.  Conversely, Põder explored the capacity of materials to deteriorate, corrode  and change appearance. Recent exhibitions include Baltic Triennial, Lithuania (2018) and  the major retrospective  Anu Põder: Be Fragile! Be Brave!  at Kumu Art Museum, Tallinn  (2017).