Biography

Raasuke (Riina Arumets) was born in 1977 in Tallinn, Estonia. Her first lessons in composition, light, and color came from observing the work of her father, photographer Ahto Uljata. Her artistic imagination was shaped by Soviet photography magazines, where the aesthetics of the frame merged with technical precision.

Riina worked as a photographer in a private studio, but her true source of inspiration emerged during the years she spent in voluntary educational work. For more than three decades, she lived in Finland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Russia, closely engaging with people from diverse cultures. Her work with refugees and her study of languages (including Arabic) opened up a rich palette of human stories and views, which became the foundation of her artistic exploration in painting.
Riina is an artist whose education developed outside academic institutions—through self-study of techniques, training in artists’ studios, and ongoing practice. Her approach has been shaped by a continuous dialogue with architecture and design, and active participation in the cultural life of various countries.

After returning to Estonia in 2022, her collaboration with architects and designers became the starting point of her professional path as a painter.