Born in 1963 in Tallinn, Estonia, Arno Arrak was immersed in art from the very beginning. He grew up in a deeply creative household—his father, Jüri Arrak, was one of Estonia’s most celebrated artists with works held in major museum collections across Europe and the United States, while his mother was an internationally exhibiting leather artist. Art was not simply present in Arno’s life; it was the language spoken at home.

Arno’s earliest education took place in his father’s studio, where he developed a strong foundation in form, color, and perspective. He went on to study at the Art University of Estonia, refining his skills through rigorous practice in drawing, painting, and printmaking under the guidance of respected masters.

In 1989, amid Estonia’s struggle against Soviet occupation, Arno emigrated to Sweden. There, he worked as a printmaker in a screen-printing studio that produced fine art editions for artists and galleries.
Two years later, he and his family relocated to Toronto, Canada—a move that would prove pivotal. As a master printer at the prestigious Toronto Open Studio, Arno entered a fertile creative environment that transformed the direction of his work. It was here that he met renowned Canadian printmaker Alan Flint, and together they developed a distinctive watercolor monoprint technique that attracted international attention from galleries and art collectors.