The exhibition titled Retrospection by Edgars Mikelsons , one of the most talented modern Latvian artists, has opened in the art gallery of Rietumu Bank. The exposition presents more than 50 works that reflect the creative development of the author, i.e. from the very first pictures, to the works that were created in recent years. The exhibition is held in two parts. Its second part is open in St. Peter’s Cathedral in Riga.
Edgars Mikelsons In 1989, Edgars Mikelsons (1958) graduated from the Latvian Academy of Arts in the speciality of graphic artist. Afterwards, he worked in the art museum in Daugavpils, National Art Museum and the National Library of Latvia. Since 1998, he has been a member of the Latvian Union of Artists. Since 1987, he has participated in group exhibitions in Riga, Kaliningrad and Rostock, and held more than 30 personal exhibitions both in Latvia and abroad.
Retrospection presents more than 50 pictures that were completed using various techniques such as graphics, picture, pastel and watercolour. The plots of the works are very diverse and reflect the worldview of the artist.
Edgars Mikelsons has a very interesting and, at the same time, complicated life. It was not a straight-away decision of his to come to the world of arts. In his youth, he obtained a completely different kind of education and worked for a while as a ship’s engineer at sea. However, the artist rather quickly realised that this profession was not for him: “I started to create my first works right on the ship during navigation. One of these pictures is presented in this exhibition. As soon as I started to draw, I have got the feeling as if a mountain had fallen from my shoulders and at last I realised that it is exactly what I want to do in my life.
There are many urban scenes among the works of the artist, and all of them differ due to their special dynamism and saturation. A city for Edgars means a living body – fickle, enigmatic and constantly changing: “To create interesting pictures, one must live an interesting life. During the period of ten years, I had a distinctive hobby – I researched the city ‘from the inside’. I strolled at night in the neglected houses, yards and dark corners of Riga. I climbed the roofs and attics and found specific ‘artefacts’ such as hatches, decayed boards, age-old vines and bottles. During the day, I expressed my emotions from the night walks on the paper”.
Today, the artist also spends much time
tête-à-tête with his beloved city of Riga and draws not only the city itself but also urban dwellers. “Sometimes I create 50 to 70 portraits per day. I observe the people – passers-by and café visitors. I am curious about their facial features, imitations, gesticulations. I try to catch their mood,” says the master.
The exhibition in the
Rietumu Art Gallery is open on business days from 9:00 to 17:00. Entrance is free. The exhibition will be held until 16 November.
Eleonora Gailisha Mass Media and Public Relations
Phone: +371-67020506
Fax: +371-67020563
E-mail:
egailisha@rietumu.lv
