Anna-Liisa Pihlap is a 22-year-old artist from Estonia working with expressive, color-rich acrylic landscapes. The intent behind the work is to draw attention to the human tendency of constantly being pulled away from the present moment. It is tempting to keep the mind on the future: the next day, the next task. That is also what makes us human: this ability to look ahead. But once what we had our mind on finally arrives, we are already reaching for the one after it.
Growing up in Estonia, she found refuge in the outdoors during the most challenging times in her life, an experience that left a lasting mark on her practice. Being in nature brought her brief but vivid moments of being fully immersed in the present: the mind going quiet, attention commanded entirely by the natural world, the endless stream of thoughts momentarily put on pause. Her practice is dedicated to conveying that fleeting moment of awe: making an instant feel like eternity.