Ülo Sooster was an Estonian artist. He began to study at the Pallas Higher Art School in 1943 during the German occupation. Soon afterwards, his call-up to the army interrupted his studies. He returned a year later, and studied at the National Art Institute of Tartu, where he formed a group of artists, the Tartu Circle. In 1949, some of its members, including Sooster, were arrested and accused of plotting against the state. He was sent to the Dolinka prison camp in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. He was freed in 1956. He met his future wife Lidia in the camp, with whom he moved to Moscow after being set free. He worked there as a freelance artist and book illustrator. Nevertheless, his connections with friends in Estonia remained strong. Sooster influenced strongly the work of the Tartu Circle. His work is Surrealist and abstract, forming an interesting part of Estonian art history.