Mihkel Maripuu

Mihkel Maripuu (b. 1987) is an artist examining the evolution of visual language in the digital era, addressing its impact on contemporary aesthetics and materiality. His practice interrogates the shifting dynamics between technological systems and organic worlds, tracing moments where the two collapse into one another. Through compressed, multi-layered, and at times aggressively rendered compositions, Maripuu constructs environments in-which digital logic glitches into painterly materiality, creating a space of tension, resistance and reinvention. Through a dynamic, boundary-pushing practice, he defines the intersections between the illusory and material in contemporary art.

His work has been featured in both solo and group exhibitions across Estonia and internationally, including Germany, Denmark, Belgium and Greece. He holds a BA from the University of Tartu, Institute of Cultural Research, Department of Painting and an MA from the Estonian Academy of Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Painting.

Maripuu has been nominated for numerous awards, including the AkzoNobel Art Prize (2024, 2019), Kristjan Raud Art Award (2020), Konrad Mägi Art Award (2019) and the Young Painter Prize (2013). He has also been nominated as a sound designer for several collaborations, including the Estonian Theatre Awards 2022 for the performance “Läbi Kukkumine / False Falling”(performed at Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava (STL) / Estonian Art Museum (KUMU) / Vilnius Biennale of Performance Art), the Estonian Theatre Awards 2024 for the performance “Paus Istu Mine / Standstill”(STL) and the Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2024 for Best Exhibition with “Kellele kuulub öö? / Who Claims the Night?” (Estonian National Museum (ERM)).

Mihkel Maripuu (snd 1987) on kunstnik, kelle looming uurib visuaalse keele arengut ja eripärasid digiajastul ning nende muutuste mõju kaasaegsele esteetikale ja materjalikäsitlusele. Tema teosed otsivad tehnoloogilise ja orgaanilise maailma võimalikke kokkupuutepunkte, jälgides nende kahe toimija dünaamikat ja kooseksisteerimise potentsiaali. Voolavate, pingestatud, kohati isegi agressiivsete kompositsioonide kaudu loob Maripuu keskkondi, kus tehnilise digitaalsuse ja maalilise materiaalsuse vahel toimub pidev dialoog ja transformatiivne taassünd. Läbi dünaamilise, piire kompava praktika defineerib ta illusoorse ja ainelise kokkupuutepunkte kaasaegses kunstis.

Maripuu on üles astunud isiku- ja grupinäitustega nii Eestis kui rahvusvaheliselt, sealhulgas Saksamaal, Taanis, Belgias ja Kreekas. Tal on bakalaureusekraad Tartu Ülikooli Kultuuriteaduste Instituudi maali erialalt ning magistrikraad Eesti Kunstiakadeemia vabade kunstide teaduskonna maali osakonnast.

Maripuu on olnud nomineeritud tunnustustele nagu AkzoNobeli kunstipreemia (2024, 2019), Kristjan Raua kunstipreemia (2020), Konrad Mägi kunstipreemia (2019) ning Noore Maalikunstniku preemia (2013). Lisaks on ta olnud nomineeritud ka mitmete koostööprojektidega, sealhulgas Eesti Teatriauhinnad 2022 etendusega „Läbi Kukkumine / False Falling“(esitlused: Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava(STL) / Eesti Kunstimuuseum (KUMU) / Vilnius Biennale of Performance Art), Eesti Teatriauhinnad 2024 etendusega „Paus Istu Mine / Standstill“ (STL) ning Eesti muuseumide aastaauhinnad 2024, parima näituse kategoorias näitusega „Kellele kuulub öö? / Who Claims the Night?“ (Eesti Rahva Muuseum (ERM)).

● 2010 – 2014 Estonian Academy of Arts, Painting Department (MA)
● 2011 – 2012 Completing a master's thesis project in Berlin, as a awarded scholarship recipient
● 2006 – 2010 Tartu University, Philosophy faculty, Institute of art and cultural science, Painting Department (BA)

● The Art Museum of Estonia's main collection
● Tartu Art Museum's main collection

● AkzoNobel Art Prize 2024
● Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2024 for Best Exhibition
“Kellele kuulub öö? / Who Claims the Night?” (Sound Artist, Collaborator)
● Estonian Theater Awards, Performing Arts Award 2024 / performance "Paus Istu Mine / Standstill" (Sound Artist, Collaborator)
● Estonian Theater Awards, Dance Production 2022 / performance "Läbi Kukkumine / False Falling" (Sound Artist, Collaborator)
● Kristjan Raud Art Award 2020
● Konrad Mägi Art Award 2019
● AkzoNobel Art Prize 2019
● Young Painters Prize 2013


● 2025 "X". Audio-visual solo performance. SAAL3 vol4 performance platform. Kanuti Gildi SAAL, Tallinn
● 2025 "EXOBIOTA". Curated by Lilian Hiob-Küttis. KOGO gallery, Tartu
● 2022 "Fatamorgaana/ Fata Morgana". Draakon gallery, Tallinn
● 2021 "*(meta)morphosis". ARS Art Factory's Projectspace. Tallinn
● 2020 "Tuleviku ootamatu ilmumine / The Unexpected Presence of the Future". duo-solo exhibition with artist Laivi.
Tartu Art House Monumental gallery
● 2020 "Draft". solo exhibition. ARS Showroom
● 2019 "Ex Nihilo". Hobusepea Gallery, Tallinn
● 2018 Solo audio-visual project "Liminal Phase". ARS Art Factory's Projectspace, Tallinn.
● 2017 "Maine igatsus: leida ja kaotada / Killer Image: Shifting Modes of Desire". Duo-Solo exhibition with Laivi. Hobusepea gallery Tallinn
● 2014 "#anonymous(im)possibilities intheinvorytower#xoxo". Hobusepea gallery, Tallinn
● 2014 "Color is Chaos". Nassau 42 Fine Arts Gallery, Antwerpen, Belgium
● 2013 "My Job is Making Windows Where There Were Once Walls". Galerii008, Tallinn
● 2012 "Hiilgav generatsioon / Glowing Generation". Draakoni gallery, Tallinn
● 2012 "Spectrum of Vitamins". Berliini Eesti Suursaatkond / Estonian Embassy in Berlin
● 2010 "Neon Toybox", Rael Artel gallery, Tartu


●2024 "It's All About You". Sound artist / sound artist/designer for a performance. In collaboration with director-choreographer Rebecca Green (as part of CPPM Manifestal 2024). Russian theatre / RING stage, Tallinn.
● 2024 "Päästik / Trigger". Participating artists: (LA)HORDE, Adrian Kiss, Bárbara Sánchez-Kane, Cevdet Erek, Darja Popolitova, Hanna Antonsson, Jacolby Satterwhite, Oona Doherty. Curated by Evelyn Raudsepp and Maria-Helen Känd. Estonian Contemporary Art Museum (EKKM), Tallinn.
● 2023 "Standstill / Paus Istu Mine". Sound artist / sound designer for a performance. In collaboration with director-choreographer Keithy Kuuspu, performers Liisa Saaremäel, Agnes Ihoma, Jana Jacuka, Anumai Raska, Johanna Vaiksoo, light artist Sasha Mirson, stage artist Kairi Mändla, materials dramaturge Juss Heinsalu, dramaturge Laura Cemin. Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava (STL), Tallinn.
● 2023 "False Falling / Läbi Kukkumine". Sound artist for durational performance. Kumu Art Museum, Tallinn.
● 2022 "body slam / ihu ramm" Sound artist for performance / exhibition. ARS Art Factory's Projectspace, Tallinn ​ (In collaboration with Keithy Kuuspu, Liisa Saaremäel and Tarvo Porroson)
● 2021 "False Falling / Läbi Kukkumine". Sound artist for durational performance. Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava (STL), Tallinn.
● 2019 Video and sound artist for installative fashion performance "Posteden". Kanuti Gildi Saal, Tallinn.
● 2018 NU Performance festival. Sound design for artist Laivi's installative fashion performance "Mystifying Mundane". ARS Project Space, Tallinn.
● 2018 Sound design for artist Laivi Suurväli's installative fashion performance "Long Live Trashed Bodies". ​ ARS Project Space, Tallinn.
●2017 Live sound design for artist Laivi Suurväli's installative fashion performance "When I Was a Girl & Life Was Yet Ahead". ARS Project Space, Tallinn
● 2016 Sound design for audio-visual performance "Substraat II".
(Collaboration with Hannes Aasamets and Arolin Raudva). Theatre NO99, Tallinn
● 2016 Sound design for artist Laivi's exhibition "Poor Girl / Too Cool". Tartu Kunstimuuseum, Tartu
● 2016 Tallinn Music Week. Live audio-visual performance "Imperial Shadow"
under the moniker of 'Compound Minerals'. (Collaboration with Mark Kuslapuu and Hannes Aasamets). Balti Jaama Pavilion
● 2014 Sound design for artist Laura Põld's exhibition "The Night Your Mate Danced Like a Tree". Hobusepea galerii, Tallinn


● 2024 “Kellele kuulub öö? / Who Claims the Night?”. Soundartist position. Estonian National Museum
● 2024 “Kõige alguse galerii / The Newborn Gallery”. European Capital of Culture - Tartu 2024. Main program project in collaboration with curator/architect Helmi Marie Langseppa and artist Kai Kaljo.
● 2023 “Largely (not wholly)”. FABRIKKEN for Kunst og Design. Copenhagen, Denmark
● 2023 “Fragmentary Relations”. Academy of Fine Arts, Munich. Germany
● 2019 "Aruanne publikule. Tartmusi kunstiostud". Tartu Art House
● 2019 "4D". ARS Project Space, Tallinn
● 2017 "Right Now!". Pärnu Museum of New Art
● 2015 "Youth Mode". Tartu Art Museum
● 2014 "Võimatu minna, Kindlasti minna / Can't Go On, Must Go On". Tallinn Art Hall
● 2014 "TASE 2014". Estonian Architecture Museum, Tallinn
● 2014 "SUND". Tallinn Art Hall
● 2013 "Young Painter Prize 2013". Contemporary Art Center, Vilnius
● 2013 "Kaasaütlev. Ilmaütlev". Hobusepea Gallery, Tallinn
● 2013 "Two-Way Street. Contemporary Estonian Painting". Mon Repos Palace, Corfu town, Greece
● 2012 "Eesti kunstiskeenede arheoloogia ja tulevik". KUMU, Tallinn
● 2011 "Seanahk III". International art and peformance festival. Haapsalu, Estonia
● 2009 "Freedom. Freedom. Sexy". Tbilisi State Academy of Arts gallery. Tbilisi, Georgia

● Okulaarne hedonism ja tehisaru pintslitõmme — Raivo Kelomees. Kunst.ee, 2/2025
● Väljaspoolsus siin ja praegu — Juhan Raud. Sirp, 14.03.2025
● Mihkel Maripuu: traditsioonilise maalikunstnikuna tunnen vastutust käsitöö-oskuse ees — Aurora Ruus. ERR kultuuriportaal, 12.03.2025
● Mihkel Maripuu isikunäitus mõtestab maalikunsti positsiooni ekraaniajastul — Lauraliis Jurkov. ERR kultuuriportaal, 28.02.2025
● Exhibition 'Exobiota' by Mihkel Maripuu at Kogo Gallery — Lilian Hiob-Küttis. Echo Gone Wrong, 17.02.2025
● Reivida tuleb sedasi, et ei jõuaks enam ühelgi esmaspäeval tööle — Sveta Grigorjeva. Postimees, 22.05.2024
● Puhasta oma meeled — Maarin Mürk. Sirp, 03.05.2024
● Plahvatuse järellaine. Päästik — Andrus Laansalu. Edasi, 21.05.2024
● Igavene aelemine lõpmatus ruumis — Kaja Kann. Sirp, 15.09.2023
● Neoliberalismi lavastamine — Kristjan Peik. Teater.Muusika.Kino, 9/2021
● Protsessist ja muutumisest — Henri Hütt. Kunst.ee, 4/2021
● Tasakaaluharjumused viiele ja enamale — Ott Karulin. Sirp, 02.07.2021
● Etenduskunstnik Kuuspu munad on püsivad — Kaja Kann. Postimees, 21.06.2021

● SAAL3 vol 4: Mihkel Maripuu, Norman Orro, Viktoria Martjanova — SAAL Raadio, IDA raadio, 11.11.2025
● Mihkel Maripuu “Exobiota” — Kunstiministeerium, Klassikaraadio, 12.04.2025
● Mihkel Maripuu isikunäitus “Exobiota” — Delta, Klassikaraadio, 12.03.2025

● Photo reportage from the exhibition 'Exobiota' by Mihkel Maripuu at the Kogo Gallery — Echo Gone Wrong, 17.03.2025
● Kogo galeriis avati Mihkel Maripuu isikunäitus “Exobiota” — ERR kultuuriportaal, 04.03.2025
● Photo reportage from the exhibition 'Trigger' at the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia — Echo Gone Wrong, 31.05.2024
● Photo reportage from the exhibition “Fatamorgaana / Fata Morgana” — Echo Gone Wrong, 31.10.2024
● Mihkel Maripuu avas isikunäituse “Fatamorgaana” — ERR kultuuriportaal, 23.10.2022
● Tartu Kunstimajas avatakse Mihkel Maripuu ja Laivi ühisnäitus — Postimees, 22.09.2020
● Mihkel Maripuu ja Laivi: Tuleviku ootamatu ilmumine — Tartu Kunstimaja, YouTube, 2020