At the beginning of his career, Maran was very interested in modern art trends. The first abstract paintings were completed in 1957-59. In the 1960s, Maran experimented with several trends in modern art, trying to bring the art experience contained in them to Estonian art as well. In addition to oil painting, he used gouache, tempera, pastel, collage. As one of the leaders of the avant-garde of Estonian art, he gave lectures and published articles on the applications of modern art.
In exhibitions Maran mostly displayed cityscapes and still lives with a simplified treatment of form.
The year 1968 was a turning point, when the artist's worldview turned towards religiosity. Since then he has painted nature-loving poetic pictures of the nature of Northern Estonia, flowers, preferably amaryllis, lilies and peonies, especially white ones, and old-fashioned still lives. Inspiringly expressing his clarified sense of life, Maran treats the nature and simple everyday objects with piety, which acquires inner harmony and a deeper ethical meaning.
CV
1959
graduated from the Estonian State Art Institute as a graphic designer, for the thesis designed a poster series
1959-1965
artists of magazine “Pikker” , then a freelance artist
1965
Member of the Estonian Artists\' Association
PERSONAL EXHIBITIONS:
1967
Cafe of the Tartu University
1971
the Estonian Art Museum
1976
Gallery of the Tallinna Kunstihoone
1978
the Estonian Art Museum
1982
the Tartu Art Muuseum
1983
Gallery of the Tallinna Kunstihoone
1985
the Gallery Draakon, Tallinn
1987
the Tallinna City Museum
1991
the Haapsalu Centre of Culture
the Kivisilla Gallery, Tartu
1992
the Tartu Art Muuseum
Gallery Tokko & Arrak, Tallinn
1993
Gallery of the Tallinna Kunstihoone
the Raatuse Gallery, Tallinn
1999
the Raatuse Gallery, Tallinn
2000
the Eesti Pank Gallery, Tallinn
GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
1965
Gallery of the Tallinna Kunstihoone (with L.Sarapuu)
1967
the Tartu Art Muuseum (with E.Põldroos and O.Subbi)
1968
Bakuu (with E.Põldroos and O.Subbi)
1973
“ Art of the Baltic Republics”, Moscow
1986
“Tallinner Malerei der Gegenwart”, Kiel, Germany; Venice, Italy
1988
Harjavalta, Finland
Trento, Italy
1990
the VII Vilnius Painting Triennal
1997
Domini Canes, Tallinn (with A.Liik)
1999
the Embassy of the European Union, Tallinn (with H.Palm)
PRIZES:
1979
Annual prize of the Estonian Artists\' Association
1984
Annual prize of the Estonian Artists\' Association
1987
Annual prize of Kristjan Raud
1990
Grand Prix of the Vilnius Painting Triennal
WORKS IN COLLECTIONS:
The Estonian Art Museum, the Tartu Art Museum, the Tallinna Kunstihoone, the Tretyakov Gallery, many private collections in Estonia and abroad.