Nelly Drell

Nelly Drell is an Estonian artist. She was born October 19, 1979, in Tallinn.

Nelly Drell and her self-portrait (painted in 2005)

As a child she was interested in art and while studying in Pelgulinna Secondary School she participated in extracurricular activities at the Kullo Art Centre and Kevade Street Art School. After graduating high school she carried on studying painting in 1998-2000 at the Estonian Academy of Arts. She studied at Miami University from 2000 to 2001 where she received her bachelor's degree and from 2001 to 2003 at the New York Academy of Art where she gained a master's degree in painting.

Drell experiments with different art styles. Her paintings include styles varying from baroque to classic. Her subjects include at the a combination of sports events, historical scenes and landscapes. Usage of art form and choice of motives are varying but she remains primarily focused on (harmonically depicted) people.

Drell has exhibited her paintings since 1995 at dozens of group and personal exhibitions. In 2001 she won the Miami International Fine Arts College Young Visual Artist Award and in 2008 the SMV-prize in the Estonian Artists Union’s annual exhibition.

From 2005 she has been a member of the Estonian Artists Union.

Critical reception

"She looks like a blonde Miss World finalist and paints like a jaded academic. I think of Drell as a born illustrator and a born painter, an artist for whom, by her very nature, academic studies and plaster drawing are ideal – an exceptionally rare quality among artists of her age."[1] Harry Liivrand (art-historian)

"She is able to mould an image even with the most erratic of brush strokes, lend it depth with the gentle tempering of tonalities, and what is most important – bestow on the image a sense of well-heeled cogency. Drell does not obfuscate her visions in a tactful or delicate artistic fog: she paints them with a pitiless honesty."[2] Johannes Saar (art critic)

Education

2001-2003 New York Academy of Art, New York (USA)/painting, MA

2000-2001 Miami International University of Art and Design, Miami (USA)/painting, BA

1998-2000 Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn (Estonia) /painting

1992-1996 Kevade Street Art School, Tallinn (Estonia)

1987-1998 Pelgulinna Highschool, Tallinn (Estonia)

Nelly Drell´s painting "Woman" (2003)
Nelly Drell´s painting "Estonian peacekeepers in Iraq" (2005)
Nelly Drell´s painting "Soul" (2008)

Amplification

2002 The Art Student League of New York, New York (USA) /painting

1991-1992 Kullo, Tallinn (Estonia) /ceramics

Group exhibitions

2008 "XL" Tartu Art Hall, Tartu (Estonia)

2008 "Crossing the border" Art gallery of Narva museum,Narva (Estonia)

2008 "Wakeup" Architecture and art centre in Roterdami center,Tallinn(Estonia)

2007 "Changing of body" ArtDepoo gallery,Tallinn (Estonia)

2006 "Pure painting" Jõhvi orchestra house, Jõhvi (Estonia)

2005 "Selfpotret" Tartu (Estonia)

2005 "Identities", Kunstihoone gallery, Tallinn (Estonia)

2003 "New York Academy of Art graduating exhibition", Cast Hall, New York (USA)

2002 "Between points A+B", Tribeca Hall, New York (USA)

2001 "Unplugged", Jackie Hinchey-Sipes, D.A.S.H Gallery, Miami (USA)

1998 Pelgulinna Highschool graduating exhibition, Kullo gallery,Tallinn (Estonia)

1996 Kevade street school graduating exhibition, Tallinn (Estonia)

1995 Pelgulinna Elementary School graduating exhibition, Kullo gallery, Tallinn (Estonia)

Solo exhibitions

2006 "Rebirth", Viviann Napp gallery, Tallinn (Estonia)

2005 "Colors of the nature", Viru center, Tallinn (Estonia)

2005 "Helpless", Haapsalu city gallery, Haapsalu (Estonia)

2004 "Pressure", Draakon gallery, Tallinn (Estonia)

2004 "An eye to an eye", G-gallery, Tallinn, (Estonia)

References
  1. Eesti Ekspress "Identiteedid" 06.01.2005
  2. Eesti Päevaleht "Surve" 06.11.2004

Some articles about Nelly Drell published in Estonian newspapers
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