Tribute exhibition “Vibe chords” to the artist Skaidrīte Elksnīte (1929-2002)

In Bertschy hall of the art gallery “Roman garden” at Zivju Street 3, there will be an opening of the exhibition “Vibe chords”, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the artist Skaidrīte Elksnīte (1929-2002), thus paying tribute to the legacy of her life’s work.

The exhibition is created in cooperation with Aina Audze, who is the keeper of the artist’s works, demonstrating the most characteristic features of the picturesque expression by Skaidrīte Elksnīte – one of the founders of the Liepāja visual tradition. The exhibition presents paintings and pastel drawings that cover the period of creative work from the sixties of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century.

Great deal of the artist’s work is focused on to figurative works and portraits; her contemporaries and creative people often appear as subjects in portrait paintings. The artist’s creative works are imbued with certain recognizable motives, to which she sometimes returned, diversifying their interpretations. The main motives of the paintings are landscapes of small Kurzeme towns, gypsy type portraits, images of horses, as well as verticals of churches.

The painter Skaidrīte Elksnīte was born on March 5, 1929, in Ventspils, later lived and spent her school years in Talsi, Kandava, and Tukums. She graduated from the Painting Department of the Latvian Academy of Arts in 1965 with the diploma work “Swimmers”. She spent most of her life in Liepāja, teaching drawing and painting at the Liepāja School of Applied Arts, as well as at the Liepāja Pedagogical Institute (now Liepāja High School of Music, Art and Design and the University of Liepāja).

During her life, S. Elksnīte organized personal exhibitions in Liepāja, Rīga, Ventspils, Talsi, Tukums, Daugavpils, and also actively participated in various joint exhibitions, which number exceeds two hundred. In 1969, S. Elksnīte was admitted to the painting section of the Latvian Union of Artists. The artist’s works are in private collections in Latvia and abroad, as well as in state art funds and collections, including in the funds of the Latvian National Museum of Art and the Latvian Union of Artists, in the funds of the Liepāja, Ventspils, Tukums and Talsi museums. The painter died on April 23, 2002 in Liepāja.

The tribute exhibition dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the artist Skaidrīte Elksnīte, in the gallery “Roman Garden” will be open until January 4, 2020.

Entry ticket price for adults €2, 50, students and seniors €1.00; for children – free entry.