Jaanika Peerna is an Estonian-born artist, whose work encompasses drawing, video, installations and performances. She creates abstract drawings on thin plastic paper through intuitive physical movements inspired by and reminiscent of dance. She lives and works in New York and Tallinn. In Peerna’s studio work, she uses the physical movements of her body to simulate natural forces such as falling water, wind, gravity and momentum. She attaches a sheet of Mylar to a board then grasps a bunch of pencils in each hand. Touching the tips of the pencils to the Mylar she then executes a single, fluid, whole-body gesture, moving the pencils across the surface in emulation of the motion of natural phenomena such as a waterfall or storm surge. In this movement, Peerna’s body becomes as water released. The pencils are an extension of Peerna’s physicality and the image left behind on the surface is an instantaneous record of this singular natural event. Outside the studio Peerna sometimes collaborates with musicians, dancers and other artists, executing her drawings on Mylar spread out onto the floor or hung from the ceiling. She connects her pencils to Mylar’s surface then moves across the surface creating marks that record the intuitive motions she makes, while interacting with her partner. Peerna is inspired by transitory natural phenomena such as light, water and air. While in the process of creating a drawing, she connects to the sound of the tip of the pencil running across the surface. The image thus becomes a physical record of the transitory nature of the experience in which she is collaborating. The work is an aesthetic monument, a visual memory of the moment. Though active, involved and sometimes noisy, her practice is deeply rooted in an investigation of silence. It is an attempt to record the simplicity and beauty underlying a complex set of environmental and experiential stimuli. Her drawings are a relic of the culmination of a meeting of three-dimensional and two-dimensional space. The work carries with it an inherent contemplative depth caused by the use of a static, flat surface, as a method of recording emotional, psychological and physical transitions involving space, time and human activity.
Big Blue Melt 14 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Big Blue Melt 14 (Abstract drawing) Pigment, Color Pencil and Ice on Mylar. Unframed. Big Blue Melt are works that have been created with pigment pencils and ice. Peerna starts th...
Plastic, Pigment, Color Pencil
Love Affair 9 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Love Affair 9 (Abstract drawing) Colour pencil on two layers of Mylar — Unframed. Love Affairs" is a series of drawings on two layers of thin, translucent paper resembling ice. Each...
Mylar, Color Pencil
Love Affair 6 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Love Affair 6 (Abstract drawing) Colour pencil on two layers of Mylar — Unframed. Love Affairs" is a series of drawings on two layers of thin, translucent paper resembling ice. Each...
Mylar, Color Pencil
Small maelstrom (Ref 855) (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Pigment pencil on Mylar - Unframed. The Maelstrom Series include the most iconic and known of Peerna's works. Starting from the center on a tilted table, she extends her fingers ...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
Maelstrom Series 68 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. The Maelstrom Series include the most iconic and known of Peerna's works. Starting from the center on a tilted table, she extends her fingers t...
Mylar, Color Pencil
Tipping Point #7 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Tipping Point #7 (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar - Unframed. This work is from a series titled Tipping Point. This drawing has been created eyes closed. It captures an a...
Mylar, Pencil
Screech of ice series 41 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Screech of ice series 41 (Abstract drawing) Colored pencil and graphite on plastic paper. Unframed. Screech of Ice is a new series of drawings made by holding a bunch of pencils in...
Plastic, Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
Screech of ice series 42 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Screech of ice series 42 (Abstract drawing) Colored pencil and graphite on plastic paper. Unframed. Screech of Ice is a new series of drawings made by holding a bunch of pencils in...
Plastic, Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
Tipping Point #7 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Tipping Point #7 (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar - Unframed. This work is from a series titled Tipping Point. This drawing has been created eyes closed. It captures an a...
Mylar, Pencil
Tipping Point #5 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Tipping Point #5 (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar - Unframed. This work is from a series titled Tipping Point. This drawing has been created eyes closed. It captures an a...
Mylar, Pencil
Big Melt #10 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Big Melt #10 (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil and water on mylar - Unframed. This work is from a series titled Big Melt. It has been created with pigment pencils and ice. It captu...
Mylar, Pencil
Screech of ice series 43 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Screech of ice series 43 (Abstract drawing) Colored pencil and graphite on plastic paper. Unframed. Screech of Ice is a new series of drawings made by holding a bunch of pencils in...
Plastic, Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
Big Melt #16 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Big Melt #16 (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil and water on mylar - Unframed. This work is from a series titled Big Melt. It has been created with pigment pencils and ice. It captu...
Mylar, Pencil
Storm series (ref. 845) (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Storm series (ref. 845) (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. So many different storms, so hard to capture. Beginning in the wake of hurricanes Irene and Sandy, t...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
Maelstrom Series 77 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Maelstrom Series 77 (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar - Unframed The Maelstrom Series include the most iconic and known of Peerna's works. Starting from the center on a...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
Big Melt #10 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Pigment pencil and water on mylar - Unframed. This work is from a series titled Big Melt. It has been created with pigment pencils and ice. It captures the moment when solid is turn...
Mylar, Pencil
Love Affair 9 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Love Affair 9 (Abstract drawing) Colour pencil on two layers of Mylar — Unframed. Love Affairs" is a series of drawings on two layers of thin, translucent paper resembling ice. Each...
Mylar, Color Pencil
Love Affair 6 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Love Affair 6 (Abstract drawing) Colour pencil on two layers of Mylar — Unframed. Love Affairs" is a series of drawings on two layers of thin, translucent paper resembling ice. Each...
Color Pencil, Mylar
Thaw 14 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Thaw 14 (Abstract drawing) Color Pencil and Graphite on Mylar. Unframed. Thaw Series is a group of drawings where the artist continues her work touching upon environmental matters...
Plastic, Color Pencil, Graphite
Gushing 3 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Gushing 3 (Abstract drawing) Pigment and Color Pencil on Mylar. Unframed. Gushing represents a transition between Peerna’s earlier Maelstrom series based on circular motion, and t...
Plastic, Color Pencil, Pigment
Blue Melt 19 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Blue Melt 19 (Abstract drawing) Pigment, Ice on Yupo. Unframed. Blue Melt are works that have been created with pigment pencils and ice. Peerna starts the drawings by first markin...
Plastic, Color Pencil, Pigment
Ablation Zone 6 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Ablation Zone 6 (Abstract drawing) Pigment And Ice on Yupo. Unframed. Ablation is a series of drawings that extend the Blue Melt approach into large, long, excessively vertical wo...
Plastic, Pigment
Storm Horizontal 82 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Storm Horizontal 82 (Abstract drawing) Graphite and color pencil on Mylar. Unframed. So many different storms, so hard to capture. Beginning in the wake of hurricanes Irene and S...
Mylar, Color Pencil, Graphite
Thaw 3 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Thaw 3 (Abstract drawing) Graphite and colored pencil on two layers of plastic paper. Unframed. Thaw Series is a new series of drawings where the artist continues her work touchin...
Plastic, Color Pencil, Graphite
Small Maelstrom (Ref 854) (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Small Maelstrom (Ref 854) (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. The Maelstrom Series include the most iconic and known of Peerna's works. Starting from the cente...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
Maelstrom Series 67 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Maelstrom Series 67 (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. The Maelstrom Series include the most iconic and known of Peerna's works. Starting from the center on ...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
Screech of ice series 43 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Screech of ice series 43 (Abstract drawing) Colored pencil and graphite on plastic paper. Unframed. Screech of Ice is a new series of drawings made by holding a bunch of pencils in...
Plastic, Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
Storm Series (Ref 844) (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Storm Series (Ref 844) (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. So many different storms, so hard to capture. Beginning in the wake of hurricanes Irene and Sandy, th...
Mylar, Pencil
Big Melt #10 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Big Melt #10 (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil and water on mylar - Unframed. This work is from a series titled Big Melt. It has been created with pigment pencils and ice. It captu...
Mylar, Pencil
Big Melt #16 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Big Melt #16 (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil and water on mylar - Unframed. This work is from a series titled Big Melt. It has been created with pigment pencils and ice. It captu...
Mylar, Pencil
Storm series (ref. 845) (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Storm series (ref. 845) (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. So many different storms, so hard to capture. Beginning in the wake of hurricanes Irene and Sandy, t...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
Maelstrom Series 77 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Maelstrom Series 77 (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar - Unframed The Maelstrom Series include the most iconic and known of Peerna's works. Starting from the center on a...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
Small maelstrom (Ref 855) (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Small maelstrom (Ref 855) (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar - Unframed. The Maelstrom Series include the most iconic and known of Peerna's works. Starting from the cent...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
Small Maelstrom (Ref 854) (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Small Maelstrom (Ref 854) (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. The Maelstrom Series include the most iconic and known of Peerna's works. Starting from the cente...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
Screech of ice series 41 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Screech of ice series 41 (Abstract drawing) Colored pencil and graphite on plastic paper. Unframed. Screech of Ice is a new series of drawings made by holding a bunch of pencils in...
Plastic, Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
Maelstrom Series 68 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Maelstrom Series 68 (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. The Maelstrom Series include the most iconic and known of Peerna's works. Starting from the center on a...
Mylar, Color Pencil
Storm Horizontal 82 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Storm Horizontal 82 (Abstract drawing) Graphite and color pencil on Mylar. Unframed. So many different storms, so hard to capture. Beginning in the wake of hurricanes Irene and S...
Mylar, Color Pencil, Graphite
Maelstrom Series 67 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Maelstrom Series 67 (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. The Maelstrom Series include the most iconic and known of Peerna's works. Starting from the center on ...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
Thaw 3 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Thaw 3 (Abstract drawing) Graphite and colored pencil on two layers of plastic paper. Unframed. Thaw Series is a new series of drawings where the artist continues her work touchin...
Plastic, Color Pencil, Graphite
Storm Series (Ref 844) (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Storm Series (Ref 844) (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. So many different storms, so hard to capture. Beginning in the wake of hurricanes Irene and Sandy, th...
Mylar, Pencil
Screech of ice series 42 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Screech of ice series 42 (Abstract drawing) Colored pencil and graphite on plastic paper. Unframed. Screech of Ice is a new series of drawings made by holding a bunch of pencils in...
Plastic, Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
Storm series (ref. 845) (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Storm series (ref. 845) (Abstract drawing) Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. So many different storms, so hard to capture. Beginning in the wake of hurricanes Irene and Sandy, t...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
Screech of ice series 43 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Colored pencil and graphite on plastic paper. Unframed. Screech of Ice is a new series of drawings made by holding a bunch of pencils in two hands and letting them to do the control...
Plastic, Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
Storm Horizontal 82 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Graphite and color pencil on Mylar. Unframed. So many different storms, so hard to capture. Beginning in the wake of hurricanes Irene and Sandy, this artwork was made by tightly c...
Mylar, Color Pencil, Graphite
Storm series (ref. 845) (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. So many different storms, so hard to capture. Beginning in the wake of hurricanes Irene and Sandy, this artwork was made by tightly clasping a s...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
Storm Series (Ref 844) (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. So many different storms, so hard to capture. Beginning in the wake of hurricanes Irene and Sandy, this artwork was made by tightly clasping a s...
Mylar, Pencil
Big Melt #16 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Pigment pencil and water on mylar - Unframed. This work is from a series titled Big Melt. It has been created with pigment pencils and ice. It captures the moment when solid is turn...
Mylar, Pencil
Maelstrom Series 67 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Pigment pencil on Mylar. Unframed. The Maelstrom Series include the most iconic and known of Peerna's works. Starting from the center on a tilted table, she extends her fingers ...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment
Tipping Point #7 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Pigment pencil on Mylar - Unframed. This work is from a series titled Tipping Point. This drawing has been created eyes closed. It captures an accumulation of marks made by the arti...
Mylar, Pencil
Screech of ice series 41 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Colored pencil and graphite on plastic paper. Unframed. Screech of Ice is a new series of drawings made by holding a bunch of pencils in two hands and letting them to do the control...
Plastic, Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
Screech of ice series 43 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Colored pencil and graphite on plastic paper. Unframed. Screech of Ice is a new series of drawings made by holding a bunch of pencils in two hands and letting them to do the control...
Plastic, Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
Thaw 3 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Graphite and colored pencil on two layers of plastic paper. Unframed. Thaw Series is a new series of drawings where the artist continues her work touching upon environmental matter...
Plastic, Color Pencil, Graphite
Maelstrom Series 77 (Abstract drawing)
By Jaanika Peerna
Located in London, GB
Pigment pencil on Mylar - Unframed The Maelstrom Series include the most iconic and known of Peerna's works. Starting from the center on a tilted table, she extends her fingers t...
Mylar, Pencil, Pigment