Edgars Mucenieks’ Solo Exhibition “Obsession”

From 10 October, the gallery “Romas dārzs” presents “Obsession”, a solo exhibition by artist Edgars Mucenieks.

The exhibition opens a door to three obsessions in the artist’s life — mountains, an encounter with the woman who would shape his destiny, and nudity. These themes intertwine through personal stories, memories and artworks, revealing the experiences and people who have become part of his creative journey.

The artist’s obsession with art was inspired by the teachers he feels fortunate to have encountered – Rolands Gross, Indulis Zariņš, Aleksejs Naumovs and many others equally “obsessed with art”.

The mountain theme gained renewed significance following the tragic outcome of this year’s Latvian mountaineering expedition to Alaska. It prompted Edgars Mucenieks to revisit his own mountain memories and tell the story of his and his friends’ passion for the mountains through painting.

At the heart of the exhibition is a video work that continues a story of encounters and missed connections begun 20 years ago. The work was created together with Liena Muceniece, the woman who would shape his destiny, and Viesturs Graždanovičs.

The “nude” section of the exhibition features drawings and paintings from recent years depicting swimmers, sunbathers, readers and other happy people with whom the artist has shared the sunniest moments by and in the water. This theme also continues to evolve as he develops his next exhibition.

“One cannot say that the notion of ‘obsession’ carries a particularly optimistic or positive feeling, and yet without it, the colours of life are usually very pale.”
– Edgars Mucenieks

The exhibition runs from 10 October to 13 December 2026.