Face Towards Naivism

Face Towards Naivism brings together Estonian women artists whose work is characterised by a sense of freedom in creation, an instinctive approach, and a deliberate avoidance of classical composition. 

The influence of naive artists on modern art has been remarkable: in the early 20th century, trained artists also began adopting and applying the techniques of naivism.

Naivism as an art movement began to spread at the start of the 20th century and has many representatives, the most famous of whom is Henri Rousseau. Rousseau, with his boldness, inspired avant-garde artists such as Hugo and Picasso. 

Naive techniques should not be underestimated – they are widely used in contemporary art, where paintings often feature flattened perspectives, the loss of depth, and a disregard for the rules of light and shadow or strict classical compositional principles..

The exhibition showcases a diverse range of mediums, including graphic works, animation drawings, and painting. The idea of the exhibition is to remind us that naivism – which took root in the 20th century and is currently riding a wave of renewed popularity – above all represents bold use of colour, diversity of ideas, richness of detail, seriousness and, at the same time, playfulness. This is far from the traditional notion of naivety often mistakenly attributed to the style.

The exhibition is curated by Santa Zukker, a recent graduate with a Master’s degree in Art Studies from the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Participating artists: