Photo reportage from Liisa Kruusmägi's solo exhibition 'Cephalopods with Binoculars' at Vaal gallery

December 16, 2022
Author Echo Gone Wrong

Thursday, 1st of December, Liisa Kruusmägi opened her solo exhibition titled “Cephalopods with Binoculars” at the Vaal gallery. The exhibition will remain open until 22nd of December, Tue–Fri 12–6 pm, Sat 12–4 pm. From 28th of December, the exhibition can be seen by prior arrangement only. As part of the exhibition a drawing event will take place with Liisa Kruusmägi on 6th of December at 6 pm. You are welcome to bring your own drawing tools to the event, but if you wish, some pencils and papers are also provided by the gallery.

books could really have pictures too
exhibitions could really have texts too

*

nobody’s home today
and whoever is
doesn’t want to be there

if patterns didn’t repeat
then they’d need to be called something else

adults like vivid colors
kids like realistic topics

humans are happier than animals
because animals exist on the wrong scale

the sweetest moments happen right
before falling asleep
because those are the rarest

it’s so nice to be alone
especially when somebody’s watching

the world’s filled with endless discoveries
especially things I’ve gotten
to know a little already

joy and sadness are synonyms
because both are colorful

if you give it a little thought, then
where’s there for us to go anyway

we all fit together here
quite nicely
so what that we’ve no wish to do so

there’s somebody behind every curtain
and I suppose that’s the point of curtains

to dance like
nobody’s watching, should someone be
watching first?

eye sockets are the dens of sin
of the human soul

if it hasn’t become clear by now
then it never will

somebody’s definitely thinking I wonder
if you understood

somebody’s definitely thinking

somebody’s definitely watching

Joonas Veelmaa wrote the key to interpreting this exhibition.

Liisa Kruusmägi (b. 1988 in Tallinn) is an Estonian painter and illustrator. Her artworks are recognizably actual, fun and colorful. In addition to Estonia, her solo exhibitions have also taken place in Portugal, Sweden, Canada, Japan, USA, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany and Brazil. She has participated in group exhibitions in London, Berlin, Slovakia, Italy, Finland, South Korea and Russia. Her works can also be recognised in the street scene: large murals are painted on the north side of Paide Pritsumaja and above the entrance of bar Tops in Tallinn.

Kruusmägi studied for her bachelor degree in painting and obtained a master’s degree in drawing at Estonian Academy of Arts in 2013. She took part in an exchange program with the Rhode Island School of Design and participated in residency programs at James Black Gallery in Vancouver, AIRY and Yosuga in Japan, Kitokia Grafika risograph printing studio in Lithuania, Mark Rothko Art Center in Daugavpils and São João residency in Brazil.

www.liisakruusmagi.com

Sound design: Taavi Tulev

Graphic design: Helmi Arrak

Translation: Adam Cullen

The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Punch Club

Photography: Vaal gallery