Johanna Mudist's solo exhibition "Little Man"

On 23 July at 5:30 PM the painter Johanna Mudist will open her solo exhibition Little Man at the Hobusepea Gallery. Mudist depicts the human figure in proportion to nature: as small.

Through her practice, Mudist examines how humans relate to their surroundings, to other people, animals and the various elements of the natural world. In her paintings, the boundaries between humans and nature dissolve, become distorted or disappear altogether. Similarly to the melting figures that merge, reappear or dissipate, there is also a breaking down of familiar categories: human and nature, strong and weak, large and small.

There is an animality that has permeated her works, adding an instinctive dimension. The food chain can be understood as a structure of the natural world, but also as a social and cultural phenomenon. Who eats and who gets eaten is not always visible or logical, yet someone always holds a lower position in the hierarchy. These relationships, however, are never fixed: the one who is below today, may be above tomorrow.

Johanna Mudist is a painter based in Tallinn, Estonia. Through her figurative paintings, she explores human relationships, belonging and isolation, as well as their counterparts: connection, interweavement and interconnectedness. The boundaries between humans and nature often dissolve, either formally or through ambiguous titles, emphasising our constant interconnectedness with the world. Mudist received her bachelor's degree in fine arts from the Tartu Art College (2014) and completed her master's degree in painting at the Estonian Academy of Arts (2017). During her studies, she participated in the Erasmus+ programme, studying in Imatra, Finland (2013) and Kraków, Poland (2016). Her recent solo exhibitions include Sisters Have Sisterhood at the ARS Project Space (2024) and Through Salty Water at the Kuressaare Raegalerii (2025). Johanna Mudist has been a member of the Estonian Artists' Association since 2019 and the Estonian Painters Association since 2018.

The exhibition team

Graphic design: Katariin Mudist
Technical team and installation: Alden Jõgisuu, Hans-Otto Ojaste
The artist thanks: Mari Volens, Terje Mudist, Kaisa Milsaar
The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Artists's Association, Draakon Gallery, Punch Club
Contact: johanna.mudist@gmail.com

Exhibitions in the Hobusepea Gallery are supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Estonian Ministry of Culture and Liviko AS.

The gallery is managed by the Estonian Artists' Association.