for enlarging the picture, viewing the details, the price and the booking information of the artwork click on the thumbnail 

daiga kruze

07.04.1980

Daiga Kruze is one of the most controversial artists in the Latvian newer generation. On one hand it seems that her work has all the traits for it to be judged in the spirit of art pour l'art. The artist seems to apply her full steam towards colours, shapes, composition and other stuff that is significant only in the context of the specific painting and nowhere else. And Kruze is very skilful at leaving such an impression. She really does paint well. The composition is in the right place – and that is not a small thing. She is elegant and has good taste, does not overdo it and her paintings maintain the sense of self-criticism every step of the way. The colours are supple and sharp, easy on the eyes and at the same time very contemporary. You would surprisingly seldom come across such a high quality of abstract art. Often this type of work ends up somewhere between a failed experiment and over-elaboration. That makes us appreciate Kruze’s wonderful knack for separating the significant from the insignificant; if necessity calls, it can mean the merciless slashing of some interesting finds as well.

Education

2002 –2004	Art Academy of Latvia Painting Dept., Masters course at the workshop of Professors A. Naumovs and K. Zariņš
	M.A. degree work – “Ielas” (“Streets”)
1998 - 2002	Art Academy of Latvia Restauration Dept.
	B.A. degree work – the restauration of “Apostle Paul” by an unknown author
1992 - 1998	Janis Rozentals' Riga Art Secondary School
	diploma work “Klusā daba ar meloni” (“Still Life with a Melon”)
1989 - 1992	Baldone Art School
1986 - 1992	Baldone Secondary School

Exhibitions

1991	in Riga Youth Theatre
1995	in Baldone City Council
1998	Janis Rozentals' Riga Art Secondary School diploma works at the Artists Union Gallery in Riga
2000	in Cesvaine Castle (“Matona”, wood carving)
2001	“Fireland” in Pedvāle open-air museum (“Firepeople”, burnt wood)
	group exhibition in gallery Bastejs in Riga (“Bear I”, “Bear II”, oil on canvas)
	Art Academy of Latvia 80th jubilee exhibition in gallery Bastejs in Riga (“On the Wall”, oil on canvas, collage)
2002	“Watersupply” in Pedvāle (“Supply Water”, installation) group exhibition ingallery Bastejs in Riga (“The Last wish”, oil on canvas)
2003	“Retrospecive” at the Art Academy of Latvia (“Anyone”, oil on canvas)
	group exhibition in Vitebsk, Belarus (“To Dive”, “Conversation”, oil on canvas)
	group exhibition in Prague, Czech Republic (“Anyone”, oil on canvas)
	6th Small Form Art Exhibition in gallery Rīga (“Niklāss”, “Lita”, “Both”, oil on canvas)
	group exhibition in gallery Bastejs in Riga (“Spring I and II”, oil/canvas)
	group exhibition in Vilnius Art Academy gallery in Lithuania (“Spring I and II”, “Others”, oil on canvas)
	“Autumn 2003” in Riga (“Chicks”, “Screen saver”, oil on canvas)
2004	group exhibition in Vitebsk, Belarus (“Must Go for a Walk”, oil on canvas)
	7th Small Form Art Exhibition in gallery Rīga (“Street”, “As”, “Catwalk”, oil/canvas)
	“Paintings” at the European Comission in Brussels, Belgium (“Graffiti”, “Streets”, oil on canvas)
	“Autumn 2003” in Riga (“Mary M”, “Talk to Me”, oil on canvas)
	“Border” gallery Bastejs in Riga (“East End”, “Turn”, oil on canvas)
2005	“Alternative Nature Museum”, Riga (“Chicks”)
	“New Figural Language” gallery Bastejs in Riga (“Sunset”, “Getting Better”, oil on canvas)
	“Alter ego” gallery Bastejs in Riga (“Don't Know I, II”, acrylic on canvas)
	“Etonnante Academie'' Saint Etienne, France (“Streets”, oil on canvas)
	“Objects. Painting on Wood. Postcards” gallery Bastejs in Riga (“Success Formula”, oil on wood)
2006	“Autumn 2005” in Riga (“Clearing”, oil on canvas)
	“View from Above” in Riga (“Game”, “Reflection”, oil on canvas)
	Plain aire show Jonava art gallery, Lithuania
	“Autumn 2006” Railway museum in Riga (“Pressure”, acrylic on canvas)
2007	„Sub rosa“ gallery Bastejs in Riga („Coco“)
	„Autumn 2007“ in Riga („Noises“)
	„Centro Periferia“ concorso internazionale per giovani artisti, Roma, Italy.
	„Candy Bomber“, in Arsenals, in Riga („The arm of nights“, „Selfportrait“, Selfportrait with cruiasant“)
	„Painting on wood“ gallery Bastejs in Riga („Heartbeats I, II, III“)
2008	“Squirrel” in empty café in Kuldiga, Latvia (“Flying squirrel”)
	“Souvenir” in Vef, in Riga (“Beach”, “The truth is out there”)
2009	“Cleanliness” drawings in create space “Tasty”, in Riga
	Resident artist group exibition in Strasbourg, France

Solo exhibitions

2004	“100% disappointment” (with Krišs Salmanis), Riga, Latvia
2006	“Must Go for a Walk” gallery Bastejs in Riga
	“Silver, Gold, Plasticine” (with Krišs Salmanis), Riga, Latvia
	“Summer in Valle” Amtmanis Brieditis museum, Valle, Latvia
	“At Seven o'clock” gallery Pedants, Riga, Latvia
2007	“Resort” (with Inga Meldere) gallery Leduspagrabs, Valmiera, Latvia
2008	“Contact Person” in Riga Art Space, Riga, Latvia
2009	“You are what you see” gallery 21, Riga, Latvia

Awards

2004	Bank Unibanka award
	Art magazine Studija prize
	Publishing house Atēna prize
	Culture Capital Foundation and Latvian Artists Union award Debut of the Year
2005	Forums award (national newspaper of culture)
	Publishing house Atēna award
	Art gallery M6 award,
	Publishing house Maliene – G award
	Art gallery Pedants award
2006	Annual exibition of Latvian Artists Union “Rudens 2006” award
2007	Exibition of Latvian young painters „Candy Bomber“ award (in competition with 47 painters)

Residencies and workshops

2006	Jonava Plain aire, Lithuania
2007	Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France
	Arctic Week, Kakslauttanen, Finland
2008	Srasbourg, France
	Bremen, Germany

Membership

2005	Artists' Union of Latvia
2006	Young Artists' Association

Media