MERIKE ESTNA

Merike Estna

Tallin, Estonia, 1980
Lives and works in Tallinn, Estonia.   

The central thesis of Merike Estna’s work is as direct as it is powerful: envisage painting beyond its function as a medium for formal and creative expressions. Her long standing research focuses on the field of expanded painting and the exploration of its diverse artistic possibilities. Her work also proposes an echo between the tradition of academic painting, art history and the pictorial possibilities that exist beyond the canvas. She graduated from the Eesti Kunstiakadeemia (Estonian Academy of Arts) with a Bachelor in Painting (2005) and from Goldsmiths College, University of London with the Master in Art Practice (2009).

Among her most recent solo shows are: Peradam, Temnikova & Kasela Gallery (Tallinn, 2024); Analog Mountain, Margot Samel (New York, 2024); Soil will not contain our love, solo show curated by Karin Lansoo, Kai Art Center (Tallinn, 2022); Talk to me softly, when the world is fading away, Galería Karen Huber (Mexico City,2022); The End That Was Always Near, Liste Art Fair, with Temnikova & Kasela Gallery (Basel, 2022); House of the Tragic Poet at Bosse and Baum (London, 2021); Solo show at Kai Art Center (Tallinn, 2021); Ghost of the future, filled with memories of past, curated by Andreas Nilsson at the Moderna Museet (Malmö, 2019); Mother of Pearls, curated by Alberto Ríos de la Rosa at Galería Karen Huber (Mexico City, 2019); Dawn of the Swarm at Bosse & Baum (London, 2018); Fragments from the shattered toe, curated by Thomas Cuckle at Kunstraum (London, 2017); Domesticmindcfart, curated by Octavio Avendaño at Galería Karen Huber (Mexico City, 2016).

Estna’s performance work has been exhibited at: Zsona MACO 2020 (Mexico City); XIII Baltic Triennial Give Up the Ghost, curated by Vincent Honoré at Tallinn Art Hall (Tallinn, 2018); Virgin Red Herring at Kiasma - Museum of Contemporary Art (Helsinki, 2018); Soft Scrub, Hard Body, Liquid Presence, Merike Estna and Maria Metsalu, curated by Maria Arusso at Center of Contemporary Arts (Tallinn, 2018) and Art in General (New York, 2018) as part of The Performa 17 Biennial.

Estna has received the Hansapank Scholarship and the Konrad Mäe prize (Estonia, 2014); Kristjan Jaak scholarship (Estonia, 2007); and the Eduard Viiralt award (Estonia, 2015). The Cultural Endowment of Estonia granted her the Annual Award and she is also currently the recipient of a three years artist salary awarded by the Estonian Ministry of Culture.

Her work is represented by Galería Karen Huber (Mexico City), Temnikova & Kasela Gallery (Tallinn) and Bosse & Baum gallery (London). Since 2017, Estna is associate professor at the Eesti Kunstiakadeemia (Estonian Academy of Arts, Faculty of Fine Art). During 2020 she was part of Casa Wabi art residency in Puerto Escondido (Mexico).

Tallin, Estonia, 1980
Vive y trabaja en Tallin, Estonia.   

La tesis central de la obra de Merike Estna es tan directa como poderosa: imaginar a la pintura más allá de su función como medio de expresión formal y creativa. Su larga investigación se centra en el campo expandido de la pintura y en la exploración de sus diversas posibilidades artísticas. Asimismo, su trabajo propone un eco entre la tradición de la pintura académica, la historia del arte y las posibilidades pictóricas que existen más allá del lienzo.   Se graduó de la Eesti Kunstiakadeemia (Academia de Artes de Estonia) con una licenciatura en Pintura en 2005 y del Goldsmiths  College de Londres en 2009 con una maestría en Práctica Artística.  

Entre sus exposiciones individuales destacan: Peradam en Temnikova & Kasela Gallery (Tallinn, 2024); Analog Mountain en Margot Samel (New York, 2024); Soil will not contain our love, solo show curado por Karin Lansoo en Kai Art Center (Tallín, 2022); Talk to me softly, when the world is fading away en Galería Karen Huber (Mexico City, 2022); The End That Was Always Near, Liste Art Fair, with Temnikova & Kasela Gallery (Basilea, 2022); House of the Tragic Poet en Bosse and Baum (Londres, 2021); Solo show en Kai Art Center (Tallín, 2021); Hasanlu Armastajad, arte creado junto a Jaime Lobato Cardoso en Narva Art Residency (Narva, 2021) Ghost of the future, filled with memories of past, curada por Andreas Nilsson en el Moderna Museet (Malmö, 2019); Mother of Pearls, curada por Alberto Ríos de la Rosa en Galería Karen Huber (Ciudad de México, 2019); Dawn of the Swarm en Bosse & Baum (Londres, 2018); Fragments from the shattered toe, curada por Thomas Cuckle en Kunstraum (Londres, 2017); Domesticmindcfart, curada por Octavio Avendaño en Galería Karen Huber (Ciudad de México, 2016).

Su trabajo de performance ha sido exhibido en Zsona MACO 2020 (Ciudad de México); la XIII Trienal del Báltico Give Up the Ghost, curada por Vincent Honoré en el Tallin Art Hall (Tallin, 2018); Virgin Red Herring en Kiasma - Museum of Contemporary Art (Helsinki, 2018); Soft Scrub, Hard Body, Liquid Presence, Merike Estna y Maria Metsalu, curada por Maria Arusso en el Center of Contemporary Arts (Tallin, 2018) y Art in General (New York, 2018) como parte de la Bienal Performa 17.

El trabajo de Merike ha sido reconocido con la Hansapank Scholarship y el Konrad Mäe prize (Estonia, 2014); así como el Eduard Viiralt award (Estonia, 2015). Este año el Fondo Cultural de Estonia le concedió el Premio Anual y actualmente también recibe un apoyo por parte del Ministerio de Cultura de Estonia.

Merike Estna cuenta con representación de Galería Karen Huber (Ciudad de México), Galería Temnikova & Kasela (Tallin) y Bosse & Baum (Londres). Desde 2017, Estna  es profesora asociada en la Eesti Kunstiakadeemia (Academia de Artes de Estonia). En 2020 formó parte de la residencia de arte Casa Wabi en Puerto Escondido (México).

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