RIIVO KRUUK

Riivo Kruuk (b. 1998) is an Estonian-American artist based in Charleston, South Carolina. A graduate of Florida Atlantic University, he blends classical training with a deep reverence for his Eastern European heritage. His work draws on Estonian folklore, traditional dress, and ancestral symbolism, reimagined through a bold visual language that includes graffiti-like markings and pop culture references.

Kruuk's figures are richly adorned, often framed by intricate patterns and expressive color. This fusion of old-world tradition and contemporary street art creates layered, symbolic compositions that explore identity, memory, and cultural preservation. His work invites viewers into a dialogue between past and present, heritage and invention-and challenges them to consider what we carry forward. At once intimate and mythic, Kruuk's paintings offer a striking portrait of cultural continuity in a rapidly changing world.