Painter
Eduards Kalnins was an outstanding painter, a remarkable educator and a professor at the Art Academy of Latvia. Almost all of the certified postwar painters of Latvia had undergone his guidance and graduated from his easel painting class.
Eduards Kalnins is the best Latvian marine painter, a brilliant tonal painter and the master of landscapes and still life. A special place in his artistry belongs to the painting of small format, miniatures, mostly portraying memories from his travels.
Eduards Kalniņs was born in Riga on the 25th of October.
Received the professional education at the studio of Evgeny Moshevich in Tomsk (1917-1920), then studied at the Art Academy of Latvia (in Landscape Painting class lead by Vilhems Purvitis) (1922-1931) and graduated from it with his work “After the Rain”.
Eduards Kalnins was a teacher in the Department of Painting at the Art Academy of Latvia (1945-1947), associate professor (since 1947) and professor (since 1955). He has lead the creative workshop in Riga of the USSR Art Academy (1980-1988).
A member of Artists’ Union since 1946, he has been its’ chairman of the board (1960-1965). Exhibited since 1927. Solo exhibitions in Riga (1939, 1984), Madona (1979), Krimulda (1980), Tokyo (1977), Moscow (1985). Memorial exhibitions in Riga (1991, 2004). His works are regularly exhibited in many European countries, Japan, USA and Canada.
Eduards Kalnins has received many awards: the Roman Fund scholarship of the Art Academy of Latvia (1935) for painting “Raftsmen”, which allowed him to spend a year in Italy (1936-1937); awards and premiums of
the Culture Fund (1933, 1935, 1937, 1940); the medal of the Labor Red Banner (1956); a bronze medal at the international exhibition EXPO-58 in Brussels (1958); the diploma of honor from the USSR Ministry of Culture (1959); the diploma of the Latvian SSR Supreme Council (1964, 1969, 1971, 1979, 1981); the medal “For Labor Valor” (1970); the gold medal of the Art Academy of the USSR Artists’ Union (1973); the Latvian SSR State Premium (1974); the diploma of the USSR Artists’ Union (1981); the Lenin Order (1984).
Artist has been awarded with the title of the Latvian SSR Honored Art Worker thanks to his merit in art (1949) and the honorary title of the Latvian SSR People’s Artist (1963, 1975). In 1970 he was elected as a full member of the Art Academy of the USSR.
Eduards Kalnins died in Riga on the 18th of May, 1988.
