Tartu to host third illustration festival — ERR News
The third Tartu Illustration Festival, dedicated to illustration and visual storytelling, will take place in the Estonian city of Tartu on September 25–26. The event will be held at the Aparaaditehas complex. The theme of the 2026 festival will be “Playful Patterns,” focusing on texture, repetition, modularity and rhythm.
As ERR News reports, visitors will be offered hands-on workshops, lectures, a panel discussion, an international exhibition and an illustrators’ fair over the two days. The program also includes the creation and screen printing of a board game, short meetings between writers and illustrators, dog drawing, and Annelinn-inspired collages.
Festival guests
Invited participants include Finnish pattern designer Lotta Maija, who has created work for Marimekko; British graphic artist and illustrator Ryan Chapman, whose work has been published by The New York Times, The Economist and The Atlantic; Slovenian children’s book illustrator Damijan Stepančič; and Estonian graphic designer and creative director Helene Vetik.
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Exhibition at the university library
A separate part of the program will be the international exhibition “Vivid Memory” at the University of Tartu Library. It will combine classical Estonian illustration with contemporary works by artists from other countries and explore the connection between images, memory and visual storytelling.
Organizers Helena Pass and Liina Lember described the festival as a meeting place for everyone interested in visual stories, creative experimentation and illustration culture—from professionals and students to amateurs.
