Exhibitions

The exhibition of paintings “Fields” by artist Ilze Karlsone is a tribute to Courland, a region in Latvia.

The exhibition at the Liepāja Museum features Ilze Karlsone’s latest paintings on plywood cut into sculpturesque shapes. Each picture is like a sculptural volume – a field, a single whole, not a cutout corner, a fragment of nature.

In creating these works, the artist had in mind the Courland countryside, which is usually small, rounded, hilly, and nestled in forests, unlike the vast fields of Semigallia.

“The Latvian landscape still interests me as a motif for painting: forests, fields, waters, the different shades of plowed land. I recreate these visions in my pictures, condense them, and make them into one strong whole. They are the landscape sensations of the eternal walker transformed into conditioned forms; they are images of forests, fields, and waters in bright, strong colors,” says artist Ilze Karlsone, emphasizing her deep connection with nature.

The inspiration and impulse for the “Fields” exhibition came from Ilze Karlsone’s visit to London in 2023 when she saw the highly compelling solo exhibition of abstractions on indeterminate planes by the German contemporary art classic Imi Knoebel at the “White Cube.”

According to the artist, she had already used plywood in collages and made freestanding figures because plywood is a delightful material for painting and shaping.

Ilze Karlsone has always been interested in abstractionism, minimalism, earth (nature) art, objects, and ready-made products. She has worked with various materials, including painting on canvas, paper, and cardboard, making collages and objects from wood, and using ready-made products.

Ilze Karlsone was born in Rīga and studied at the Liepāja Secondary School of Applied Arts, Metal and Amber Processing Department. She continued her studies at the Art Academy of Latvia, Design Department, and graduated as a graphic artist. In 2003, she graduated with a Master’s degree in Art and Design. Since 1997, she has been working as a painting teacher at Liepāja Music, Art, and Design Secondary School.

Ilze Karlsone has been actively participating in exhibitions since 1976, in both collective and solo exhibitions in Liepāja and Rīga.

Entrance fee: adults EUR 1,50, schoolchildren, students and senior citizens EUR 1,00.