Lisette Lepik’s solo exhibition “Firm & soft. Soft & firm”

Lisette Lepik’s solo exhibition “Firm & soft. Soft & firm” will open at Haapsalu City Gallery on 5th of February at 7pm.

Inspired by autobiographical material the exhibition deals with themes of gender roles in intimate relationships. Visitors will see emotionally charged paintings accompanied by a soundscape created for the exhibition, representing Lepik’s personal reflections and conversations with her mother and grandmother about their experiences within relationships and general family life.

The paintings are supported floor to ceiling by iron chains handcrafted by Lepik, representing the strongly held cultural and social baggage passed down between generations. The artworks within the exhibition act as a time machine through which one can observe the atmosphere of a 1990s city home in Mustamäe district or perhaps smell freshly cut grass from a recently mowed 1970s lawn in Rapla city.

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“When you think about that era, showing your feelings wasn’t a normal thing to do. Especially for men. My mother showed her feelings more and respected her husband deeply.”

“He had to be obeyed at all times. When getting older, he became very strict.”

“We always had to do everything together with our parents. My mother knew how to properly preserve edibles for the winter. Those who did not have land to tend for lived a different life.”

“It was so nice to live together with my family.”

“I was impressed that he paid attention to me. He brought me flowers.”

“I had come to realize that I could only rely on myself.”

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Gender roles in post-Soviet Estonia were heavily influenced by the Soviet era, where women were expected to be responsible for and maintain their household’s psychological and physical space. Men tended to fulfill active and successful roles outside of the home. However, thought and behavioural patterns within a society transform over time. In response to the rather narrow range of gender roles that were common during the Soviet era, new, more contemporary and free forms have emerged in today’s Estonia, such as the BDSM community. Within this framework individuals can choose a role with a specific character for themselves in a curated context.

Lisette Lepik: “I explore changes in gender roles and power dynamics through personal stories and photos of my family. Throughout the exhibition process I was inspired by BDSM communities. They provide an opportunity to reverse the roles and rethink expectations on different genders. Within this context power relations happen by mutual agreement. Roles — dominant or submissive, firm or soft — are chosen consciously and voluntarily, with prior communication regarding boundaries and desires being the norm. Power, control and submission does not mean oppression here, but rather trust.”

Lisette Lepik (b. 1999, Tallinn, EE) is an artist who creates paintings and installations. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Contemporary Art at the Estonian Academy of Arts and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Painting at the same university in 2022. She has also studied installation and sculpture at the Iceland Academy of the Arts (2019). Her work focuses on topics related to being a woman within contemporary society.

Lisette Lepik has actively participated in group exhibitions in Estonia, Iceland, Austria, and Lithuania. In 2025 she co-organised a duo exhibition with artist Kristina Kuzemko and curator Kaidi Ojasoo at Club Virgin, a strip club in Tallinn. In 2024 she held two duo exhibitions with painter Brenda Purtsak at the Monumental Gallery of Tartu Art House in Tartu and Hobusepea Gallery in Tallinn. She received the Estonian Academy of Arts’ “Õpi ja sära” scholarship in 2024 and the Helju Rossmann scholarship in 2025.

The exhibition team

Location: Haapsalu City Gallery, Posti street 3

Opening: 5.02.2026 at 7pm

Open: 6.02.2026–01.03.2026,Wed-Sun 12am–6pm

Curator: Liisi Kõuhkna

Soundscape for the exhibition: Rene Manivald Tamm

Graphic design: Cristopher Siniväli

Tech support: Agur Kruusing, Mattias Veller

Special thanks to: Virve Lepik, Liana Lepik, Nora Schmelter, Gerda Hansen, Bob Bicknell-Knight, Estonian Academy of Arts metalworking shop, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Põhjala Brewery