Evi Tihemets

Evi Tihemets (born 21 August 1932), also known as Evi Viires and sometimes hyphenated as Evi Tihemets-Viires, is an Estonian printmaker and graphic artist. She studied at the Estonian State Art Institute and has worked primarily as a freelance artist, becoming known for colour-based printmaking across techniques and for later collage works assembled from earlier impressions and new elements. Her work has been the subject of coverage in Estonian cultural press and presented in major museum programming, including a retrospective-style presentation at the Estonian National Museum.

Early life and education Tihemets was born in Tapa and studied at the Estonian State Art Institute from 1951 to 1958.

In 2012–2013 she was recognised in connection with an extensive sequence of solo exhibitions marking her 80th year; the Estonian Artists Association’s Kristjan Raud Art Award record cites a series of exhibitions across venues during that period. Exhibition announcements and cultural programming also document joint presentation contexts with her daughter, the artist Epp Viires.

Internationally, she appears in participation lists for major print events; for example, she is listed (as “Tihemets Viires Evi, Estonia”) among participating artists for MTG Kraków 2012 on the website of the International Print Triennial Society in Kraków.

Awards and honours Tihemets has received multiple prizes and state recognition.

Kristjan Raud Art Award (1992; 2013). Wiiralt Prize (main prize, 2011). Order of the White Star, IV class (2025), listed in the official state decoration register (Riigi Teataja).

Institutional biographical listings also record earlier competition and biennial distinctions (including prizes connected to Kraków print events and Tallinn print triennial contexts).