At the project area of the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design’s permanent design exhibition, visitors can explore a new additional display, “Project No. 2. Guido Mamberg’s Graphic Design from the 1930s–1940s,” which presents the work of Guido Mamberg (3 September 1895 – 3 October 1954), Estonia’s first professional commercial graphic artist and one of the most important representatives of the Art Deco movement. The display has been curated by Harry Liivrand.

The exhibition focuses on Mamberg’s graphic design from the 1930s–1940s, including posters and packaging graphics—fields in which his artistic signature and aesthetic sensitivity emerged most vividly. Mamberg’s design style, characterized by Art Deco elegance, geometrical forms, and modern visual boldness, shaped an entire era of Estonian graphic design. His works became models and marks of quality that influenced the development of advertising art both in Estonia and internationally.

“All of our leading newspapers have used Guido Mamberg’s artistic advice and work. In addition to newspaper mastheads and covers, Guido Mamberg has created countless drawings and interior illustrations for newspapers and magazines, all of which speak of good taste and expertise,” wrote the newspaper Eesti Sõna about Mamberg in 1944.

The selection of posters and packaging graphics in the exhibition demonstrates Mamberg’s ability to work across a variety of thematic fields—from newspaper visuals and advertising campaigns to product packaging. Guido Mamberg masterfully and stylishly handled different subjects and modes of expression, always keeping the specific audience in mind and confidently signing his works with his distinctive name mark from the very beginning of his career. His poster for the Pärnu resort, the packaging for the Estonian Meat Export brand “Esto,” and the Tallinn Central Dairy kefir advertisement are now classics of Estonian advertising art.

Guido Mamberg (1895–1954) grew up in Paide and studied art in Tallinn and Copenhagen. He worked as a freelance artist and for decades designed Estonian newspapers and magazines. Mamberg made a name for himself as a successful, modern, innovative, and prolific advertising artist who received commissions from state institutions, municipal enterprises, and private companies alike. His works were highly regarded even during his lifetime, and in 1939 a catalogue of his creations was published—a rare distinction for a graphic designer at that time.

The project area of the permanent exhibition “Introduction to Estonian Design” presents new discoveries, objects, and topics that help deepen the understanding of Estonian design and its context. The display changes two to three times a year.

Thanks to: Madli Mihkelson, Sandra Sirp, Jaagup Roomet, Art Museum of Estonia