Marita Liivak (b.1994) is an Estonian artist based in Tallinn. She acquired her BA (2017) at the Painting department of Pallas University of Applied Sciences in Tallinn. Between 2014-2015 and took an exchange year to study in the Department of Painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Catania. After graduation she took a 3-year detour and worked in an animation production company, starting as an illustrator and finishing as the Head of Feature Films and Series. After realizing her absolute calling was being a painter she quit and committed to her art full-time.
In her first year she did two personal exhibitions and started two projects that will be published in the following years. Marita likes to think big and in addition to creating paintings she also hosts social media platforms where she interacts with her viewers and upholds personal contact. This outlet has become important to her but even though social media platforms have given her the possibility to work and live as an independent artist she has slowly started building her own community on her own platform as well as looking for new and different ways of expanding her thinking and art like in the NFT world for example.
In the near future she’s looking to participate in residencies abroad to experience different cultures and make new connections for opportunities to collaborate as well as get inspired. Liivak loves to travel and has a deep love for different cultures and languages.
Marita Liivak's works are mainly autobiographical and reflect the artist's inner world. Through a vibrant and expressive style of painting, she challenges subjects that are most relevant to her in her personal life and are often considered taboo in most of the society. These subjects include various mental health concerns (such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, unrealistic expectations) as well as courage to embrace sexuality. The more uncomfortable a topic feels, the more confident Liivak is that it needs to be addressed.
Liivak's intuitive, yet technical painting practice allows her to solve topics through the process of painting, thereby offering comfort, support and solutions to herself as well as to the viewer. Part of Liivak’s artistic practice is to talk about the thoughts and feelings that preceded and were experienced during the painting process, which allows the works to be understood by a wider audience, and which is essential for such subjects.
Liivak has successfully participated in several auctions since 2017 and today is represented on a Paris based site called Singulart where she has sold works to Asia and USA.
Liivak’s recent solo exhibitions include „Stillness“, Telliskivi Creative City Gallery, Estonia (2021); „From Becoming to Being“, Art & Tonic Gallery, Tartu (2021); „Growing“, Kohvipaus, Tallinn (2020); „Awareness“, restaurant Tru Kitchen, Tallinn (2019); „GIRLS“, Barlova, Tartu (2017).
She has participated in various group exhibitions including „Annual Exhibition of Tartu Art“, Tartu Art House, Tartu (2020); „THE VIEW“, Noorus Gallery, Tartu (2019); „Annual Exhibition of Tartu Art“, Tartu Art House, Tartu (2017); „Pallas University of Applied Sciences 2017“, Noorus Gallery, Tartu (2017); „COINCIDENTAL MEETING“, Noorus Gallery, Tartu (2017); „ABSTRACT“, Jakobi Gallery, Tartu (2017); „Annual Exhibition of Tartu Art“, Tartu Art House, Tartu (2016); „Pallas University of Applied Sciences Spring Exhibition“, Jõhvi Art School, Jõhvi (2016); „Out of The Book“, University of Tartu Library, Tartu Art College, Tartu (2016).
