Marja-Liisa Plats (1984) is an illustrator, graphic designer, photographer, and singer. She graduated from Tartu Art College in photography and is a member of the Young Authors' Association in Tartu and the Tartu Artists' Union. Plats has illustrated more than 40 children’s books and regularly contributes to the children’s magazine
Täheke. She has received extensive recognition for her works and was twice listed in the White Ravens catalogue. Her illustrations are inquisitive and experiment with a broad range of visual techniques.
When I was asked as a kid what I wanted to be when I grew up, I was terrified. I was too little to think about going to work! Since I drew all the time, though, I soon wanted to become an “artdist” – the word “artist” in Estonian was a very difficult to pronounce (kunstnik), just like my own complex name, about which I was awfully shy. Luckily, Estonian kids have much harder names today, which is also logical – children are constantly getting smarter.Profile photo: Piia Ruber
Awards
2020Good Children's Book (John the Skeleton’s Goings-On )
5 Best-Designed Estonian Children’s Books, Certificate of Merit (John the Skeleton’s Goings-On )
5 Best-Designed Estonian Children’s Books, Special Prize of the Estonian Children's Literature Centre (John the Skeleton’s Goings-On )
20195 Best Designed Estonian Children’s Books, Certificate of Merit, special prize of the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre (Hasso Krull. The Evil Fish Café)
Good Children’s Book (Hasso Krull. The Evil Fish Café)
Edgar Valter illustration prize nominee
2018The White Ravens (Reeli Reinaus. Maarius, Magic, and Liisi the Werewolf)
Nukits competition, 2nd place (Mika Keränen. The Good Ship Jõmmu, The Phantom Cyclist)
201725 Best Designed Estonian Books, Certificate of Merit, special prize of the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre (Reeli Reinaus. Maarius, Magic, and Liisi the Werewolf)
Good Children’s Books (Reeli Reinaus. Maarius, Magic, and Liisi the Werewolf; Mika Keränen. The Phantom Cyclist)
2016Good Children’s Book (Reeli Reinaus. How My Dad God a New Wife)
2015Good Children’s Book (Juhani Püttsepp. The Society of Gibraltar Ship Dogs)
201425 Best Designed Estonian Books, Certificate of Merit (Indrek Koff. Homeward)
2011Karl Eduard Sööt Children’s Poetry Award (Wimberg. Rock'n'Roll)
The Knee-High Book Competition, 1st place (Eva Koff. Miss Whirlwind)
Good Children’s Books (Mika Keränen. The Mysterious Flower Snatcher, Wimberg. Rock'n'Roll)
2008
The White Ravens (Triinu Ojar. The Big Black Dog)
20075 Best Designed Estonian Children’s Books, Estonian Graphic Designers’ Associations’ Special Prize for a young artist (Triinu Ojar. The Big Black Dog)
2006The Knee-High Book Competition, Special Prize (Triinu Ojar. The Big Black Dog)
Exhibitions
2019Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB), Slovakia
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators “From the Mountains to the Sea”, Kraków, Rabka-Zdrój, Elbląg, Poland
2018–2019 Exhibition of Baltic illustrators “Running with Wolves”, London, the United Kingdom; Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, Tallinn; Gdańsk, Wrocław, Warsaw, Poland
2018Exhibition of Estonian illustrators “Running with Wolves”, Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, Tallinn
Exhibition of Estonian illustrators „Masters of Estonian children’s books“/“Power of Pictures“ in Russia: Krasnoarmeysk, Moscow
2017Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB), Slovakia
Tallinn Illustrations Triennial (TIT), Estonia
2015Solo exhibition, Mooste, Estonia
"The Story of a Picture" (together with Kristina Viin), Tartu, Estonia
Baltic Illustration, Vilnius, Lithuania
2012"Line", Tartu, Estonia
2010–2011"A Display of Affection" (together with Kristina Viin and Huup), Tallinn, Tartu, Võru, Estonia
2010Spring Exhibition of Estonian Illustrators, Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, Tallinn
