diff --git a/nutils/export.py b/nutils/export.py
index c1494e958..d6d1b795e 100644
--- a/nutils/export.py
+++ b/nutils/export.py
@@ -47,34 +47,59 @@ def plotlines_(ax, xy, lines, **kwargs):
     return lc
 
 
-def triplot(name, points, values=None, *, tri=None, hull=None, cmap=None, clim=None, linewidth=.1, linecolor='k', plabel=None, vlabel=None):
-    if (tri is None) != (values is None):
+def _triplot_1d(ax, points, values=None, *, tri=None, hull=None, cmap=None, clim=None, linewidth=.1, linecolor='k', plabel=None, vlabel=None):
+    if plabel:
+        ax.set_xlabel(plabel)
+    if vlabel:
+        ax.set_ylabel(vlabel)
+    if hull is not None:
+        for x in points[hull[:, 0], 0]:
+            ax.axvline(x, color=linecolor, linewidth=linewidth)
+    if tri is not None:
+        plotlines_(ax, [points[:, 0], values], tri)
+    ax.autoscale(enable=True, axis='x', tight=True)
+    if clim is None:
+        ax.autoscale(enable=True, axis='y', tight=False)
+    else:
+        ax.set_ylim(clim)
+
+
+def _triplot_2d(ax, points, values=None, *, tri=None, hull=None, cmap=None, clim=None, linewidth=.1, linecolor='k', plabel=None, vlabel=None):
+    ax.set_aspect('equal')
+    if plabel:
+        ax.set_xlabel(plabel)
+        ax.set_ylabel(plabel)
+    if tri is not None:
+        im = ax.tripcolor(*points.T, tri, values, shading='gouraud', cmap=cmap, rasterized=True)
+        if clim is not None:
+            im.set_clim(clim)
+    else:
+        im = None
+    if hull is not None:
+        plotlines_(ax, points.T, hull, colors=linecolor, linewidths=linewidth, alpha=1 if tri is None else .5)
+    ax.autoscale(enable=True, axis='both', tight=True)
+    return im
+
+
+def triplot(name, points, values=None, **kwargs):
+
+    if points.shape[1] == 1:
+        _triplot = _triplot_1d
+    elif points.shape[1] == 2:
+        _triplot = _triplot_2d
+    else:
+        raise Exception(f'invalid spatial dimension: {nd}')
+
+    if (kwargs.get('tri') is None) != (values is None):
         raise Exception('tri and values can only be specified jointly')
+
+    if not isinstance(name, str):
+        return _triplot(name, points, values, **kwargs)
+
     with mplfigure(name) as fig:
-        if points.shape[1] == 1:
-            ax = fig.add_subplot(111, xlabel=plabel, ylabel=vlabel)
-            if tri is not None:
-                plotlines_(ax, [points[:, 0], values], tri)
-            if hull is not None:
-                for x in points[hull[:, 0], 0]:
-                    ax.axvline(x, color=linecolor, linewidth=linewidth)
-            ax.autoscale(enable=True, axis='x', tight=True)
-            if clim is None:
-                ax.autoscale(enable=True, axis='y', tight=False)
-            else:
-                ax.set_ylim(clim)
-        elif points.shape[1] == 2:
-            ax = fig.add_subplot(111, xlabel=plabel, ylabel=plabel, aspect='equal')
-            if tri is not None:
-                im = ax.tripcolor(*points.T, tri, values, shading='gouraud', cmap=cmap, rasterized=True)
-                if clim is not None:
-                    im.set_clim(clim)
-                fig.colorbar(im, label=vlabel)
-            if hull is not None:
-                plotlines_(ax, points.T, hull, colors=linecolor, linewidths=linewidth, alpha=1 if tri is None else .5)
-            ax.autoscale(enable=True, axis='both', tight=True)
-        else:
-            raise Exception('invalid spatial dimension: {}'.format(points.shape[1]))
+        im = _triplot(fig.add_subplot(111), points, values, **kwargs)
+        if im:
+            fig.colorbar(im, label=kwargs.get('vlabel'))
 
 
 @util.positional_only