Awards
2023
Edgar Valter Illustration Award, nominee
The White Ravens (Liis Sein.
Mona's Dad Has Some Ideas)
5 Best Designed Estonian Childrenās Books, Certificate of Merit (Kairi Look.
Herring Disco)
Good Childrenās Book (Kairi Look.
Herring Disco)
2022
Good Childrenās Book (Liis Sein.
Mona's Dad Has Some Ideas)
20215 Best Designed Estonian Children's Books, special prize of the jury (Aino Pervik.
The Kite Spreads Friendship)
2020International Illustration and Book Design Competition āImage of the Book/Obraz knigiā, Moscow, laureate
5 Best Designed Estonian Childrenās Books, Certificate of Merit (Urmas Reinmaa.
Where Did You Find it?)
201925 Best Designed Estonian Books, Certificate of Merit (Kristi Piiper.
The Lovesick Basement Monster, the Vegan Blood Sausage, and Other Stories)
5 Best Designed Estonian Childrenās Books, Certificate of Merit, Special Prize of the Estonian Graphic Designersā Association (Kristi Piiper.
The Lovesick Basement Monster, the Vegan Blood Sausage, and Other Stories)
Edgar Valter Illustration Award nominee
2018, 2019Ā Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award candidate
201825 Best Designed Estonian Books, Certificate of Merit (Helvi JĆ¼risson.
What Letters Say)
201725 Best Designed Estonian Books, Certificate of Merit (KƤtlin Vainola.
The Boy Who Drew Maps)
201625 Best Designed Estonian Books, Certificate of Merit (Indrek Koff.
I Am Doing Well)
5 Best Designed Estonian Childrenās Books, Certificate of Merit, Special Prize of the Estonian Graphic Designersā Association (Indrek Koff.
Nice)
Good Childrenās Book (Indrek Koff.
Nice)
201525 Best Designed Estonian Books, Certificate of Merit (Grigori Oster.
Mischievous Mathematics)
5 Best Designed Estonian Childrenās Books, Certificate of Merit, Tallinn (KƤtlin Vainola.
Sonya and the Cat)
Good Childrenās Books (Contra.
Everyoneās the Smartest; Kairi Look.
Piia Biscuit Moves In; Grigori Oster.
Mischievous Mathematics; Anti Saar.
Urmas the Maintenance Man)
2014The White Ravens (KƤtlin Vainola.
Lift)
Karl Eduard Sƶƶt Childrenās Poetry Award (Contra.
Everyoneās the Smartest)
25 Best Designed Estonian Books, Certificate of Merit (Contra.
Everyoneās the Smartest)
20135 Best Designed Estonian Childrenās Books, Certificate of Merit, Special Prize of the Estonian Childrenās Literature Centre, Estonian Graphic Designersā Associationsā Special Prize for a young artist (KƤtlin Vainola.
Lift)
Good Childrenās Book (KƤtlin Vainola.
Lift)
Exhibitions
2024Exhibition of Estonian and Spanish illustrators āReflectionsā,Ā Estonian Childrenās Literature Centre
2023
VII Tallinn Illustrations Triennial (TIT 2023), Estonian Museum of Architecture
Solo exhibition "Tƶtterman and others", Estonian Childrenās Literature Centre
Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB 2023)
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators āFox Spirit. Fox Charmā, NadbaÅtyckie Centrum Kultury
2022
International exhibition of illustration "Fox Spirit. Fox Charm", Estonian Children's Literature Centre, Estonian National Museum, Latvian National Library
Exhibition of Baltic illustrators "Running with Wolves. Werewolf", Italy and Latvia
Tallinn Illustration Triennial TIT 2020, Centrum Kultury Dworek BiaÅoprÄ
dnicki , Poland
2021Exhibition of Baltic illustrators "Running with Wolves", Napoli, Rome, Frigento, Italy
Tallinn Illustrations Triennial TIT 2020, Moscow; Krasnoarmeysk, Russia
Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB 2021), Slovakkia
TIT 2020 & "Leafing Through Estonian Children's Books IV", Mytishchi, Russia
Sharjah Childrenās Book Illustrations Exhibition, the United Arab Emirates
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators āFox Spirit. Fox Charmā, Estonian Childrenās Literature Centre, Tallinn; Central Library of LƤƤne County, Haapsalu
Spring exhibition of Estonian illustrators, Tapa Public Library
2020Tallinn Illustrations Triennial (TIT), Estonia
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators "Once Upon a Time" (Grimm's Fairy Tales), Tapa Public Library, Estonia; Gallery DeƔk17, Budapest, Hungary
International illustrations exhibition "It's Always Tea-Time", Vyborg, St. Petersburg, Russia; Kondas Centre, Viljandi
Joint exhibition of nominees for Edgar Valter Illustration Award, Estonian Children's Literature Centre, Tallinn; Central Library of Saare County, Kuressaare
Midsummer spring exhibition of Estonian illustrators, Estonian Children's Literature Centre
"Picture World of Tales and Fairy Tales", Central Library of LƤƤne County
2019Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB, Slovakia
Spring exhibition of Estonian illustrators, Estonian Childrenās Literature Centre, Tallinn
International illustrations exhibition "It's Always Tea-Time", Moscow, Krasnoarmeysk, Mytishchi, Russia
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators "Once Upon a Time" (Grimm's Fairy Tales), Opole, Gdansk, Poland; Tapa Public Library, Estonia
Group exhibition of Estonian illustrators āLeafing Through Estonian Childrenās Books IIā, Moscow, Kolomna, Russia
2018ā2020 Exhibition of Baltic illustrators āRunning with Wolvesā, London, the United Kingdom; Estonian Childrenās Literature Centre, Tallinn (āWolf Runā); GdaÅsk, WrocÅaw, BiaÅystok, Warsaw, PÅock, Szczecin, Poland; Pordenone, Italy; Vilnius, Lithuania
2018Exhibition of Estonian illustrators āRunning with Wolvesā, Estonian Childrenās Literature Centre, Tallinn
Group exhibition of Estonian illustrators āTra ghiaccio e fuocoā, Rome, Pesco Sannita, Italy
2017Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB), Slovakia
Spring exhibition of Estonian illustrators, Estonian Childrenās Literature Centre
Group exhibition of Estonian illustrators āLeafing Through Estonian Childrenās Books Iā, Moscow, Kolomna, Russia
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators āA Window into the Fairy Tale Worldā, Haapsalu Cultural Centre, Haapsalu Childrenās Library
2016Spring exhibition of Estonian illustrators, Estonian Childrenās Literature Centre
Travelling exhibition of Estonian illustrators, āA Walk on the Path of Fairy Tale Together with Charles Perraultā, Moscow, Krasnoarmeysk, Mytishchi, Russia
2015ā2020 International illustration exhibition, āItās Always Tea-Timeā, Estonian Childrenās Literature Centre, Tallinn; Riga, Latvia; Uusikaupunki, Finland; Gdansk, WrocÅaw, ToruÅ, ElblÄ
g, Poland; Berlin, Germany; Szczecin, PÅock, Poland; Budapest, Hungary; Oxford, the United Kingdom; Moscow, Krasnoarmeysk, Mytishchi, Vyborg, St. Petesburg, Russia
2015ā2019 Exhibition of Estonian Illustrators, āOnce Upon a Time...ā (Grimmās Fairy Tales), Aosta, Anagni, Lagonegro, Bernalda-Metaponto, Corato, Matera, Roma, Lacco Ameno, Irsina, Siracusa, Sassari, Roma, Bologna, Italy; Estonian Childrenās Literature Centre, Tallinn; Minsk, Belarus; KrakĆ³w, Åomża, BiaÅystok, Szczecin, PÅock, Warszaw, ElblÄ
g, GdaÅsk, Opole, Poland
2013ā2014 Solo exhibition āMajahoidjaā (Housekeeper), Tallinn, Mooste, Estonia
2002Exhibition of drawings and photographs with Lauri Saar, Tallinn, Estonia
2001Annual exhibition of artistsā group Ydi, Tallinn, Estonia
Exhibition of the Estonian Academy of Artsā (EAA) Finno-Ugric expedition, āThe Water-Bird Peopleā, Belgium
1999ā2001 Exhibitions of the EAA Finno-Ugric expeditions, Tallinn, Tartu, Estonia
Ulla Saar (1975) is an illustrator and graphic artist. She graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts in product design. Her first illustrated book Lift achieved immediate widespread recognition and was listed in the 2014 White Ravens catalogue. Since then, every one of her books has received international attention. Saar practices a contemporary, design-like approach to book illustration: her spirited and playful art is often more a part of the workās overall design than free-standing pictures.
