Artist Statement
Through graphite and pastel pencils on cotton paper, I explore the tension between beauty and discomfort — weaving critical views on social, political, and cultural issues with the simple joys and light found in everyday life. While I portray real plants and animals, they represent real-world events and public or social figures, using art as a medium of storytelling.
My goal is to inspire those who see my work to look more carefully at the world around us: to find beauty, and to acknowledge the parts we tend to turn a blind eye to.
My technique is built on layering countless fine lines to create drawings that balance narrative and precision. Whether viewed from afar or up close, each work expresses skill, emotion, and dedication to the craft.
BIO
I am an artist originally from Estonia — from a small village called Veskitaguse, surrounded by forests and open meadows — who has been living and working in Alberta, Canada for the past ten years. From a young age I have been deeply connected to art, constantly drawing and exploring ways to express what I see and feel. This early passion led me to formally study at the Estonian Academy of Arts, followed by an internship under Ellen Frank in East Hampton, New York.
The bond that humans share with nature is at the core of my work. I have traveled widely, encountered different cultures, and lived among the rhythms of large cities — yet it is always the quieter, rooted connection between people and the natural world that pulls me back, and pulls me forward.
Working often on the road, I have built my practice around graphite pencils and soft pastel on cotton paper. My technique is based on layering countless fine lines — a slow, almost architectural process that builds drawings balancing narrative and precision. Each work rewards the viewer who steps closer: the detail holds.
My work blends quiet, everyday beauty with reflection on social, cultural, and political themes. I draw plants and animals, but they are rarely just themselves — a bird may stand for a public figure, a root system for a community under pressure, a single wilting flower for a moment in history. The images are sometimes subtle, sometimes confrontational, but always rooted in observation. I am interested in what we choose not to look at as much as what we do.
My hope is to invite others to look more carefully — at beauty, and at the parts of the world we tend to avoid. Simple lines can carry complex emotions. Through them I explore places that do not exist in reality but feel deeply familiar. The process is its own kind of knowledge: slow, meditative in the way that only repetition and attention can be, connecting me to parts of myself that are otherwise difficult to reach.
Every piece reflects who we are. It shows the leaf on the tree while never forgetting the roots it nourishes from. It is not just about creating an image — it is about sharing a feeling, a thought, a moment, and inviting others to find their own way into it.
CV
2005 Major in Product Design. Estonia Academy of Arts, Tallinn
2005 Ellen Frank Illumination Arts Foundation. Visual Art internship program. East Hampton, NY, USA
2010 NOMA Nordic Multimedia Academy. Multimedia designer. Kolding, Denmark
ACHIEVEMENTS / EXHIBITIONS
2025 Group Exhibition. Bat 1 Gallery, Edmonton, Canada.
2021 "From Nothing to All" Solo Exhibition. Bat 1 Gallery, Edmonton, Canada.
2021 Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, Best Cover (Legacy in Action) AD and illustration.
2021 “From Nothing to All” Solo Exhibition, The Art Incubator Gallery, Edmonton, Canada.
2020 Harcourt House Artist Run Centre Group Exhibition. Main Gallery, Edmonton, Canada.
2016 The Art World – The Art Registry World Finalist. International.
2016 ACA Shortlist. Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
2015 Nina Torres Fine Art Gallery, Miami, USA.
2015 35th Bradley International Print and Drawing Exhibition selected Artist. Bradley, USA.
2014 Linus Galleries. Curator’s Choice for Slice Of Life. California, USA.
2012 Light Space and Time - Overall Winning Artists Category 5th Place.
Light Space and Time - Painting Winning Artists Category 5th Place..
2005 The Living Gallery, New York, Ellen Franck Group Exhibition.