Eyes Open, Closed

Paula Zariņa - Zēmane “Eyes Open, Closed” 12.12.2024. - 11.01.2025. Paula Zariņa - Zēmane is a younger-generation Latvian painter whose artistic style has been developed consistently and is already known to a large part of the audience. The artist's creative practice has evolved organically—by painting a figure and context surrounding it, then reflecting and offering interpretive translations of a landscape. In her older series, Paula focused on capturing "landscape illusions" - moments seen in nature later integrated on canvas. Continuations of this theme are also performed in the exhibition "Eyes Open, Closed," where paintings and ceramic works show paradigms of the author's way of thinking. During the winter period, Paula Zariņa - Zēmane reveals ASNI as a space full of energy and observations, the gallery as a place to hide from the end-of-the-year rush. The latest series of works is introduced by the idea of an impulse (or a story before the eyes of the artist) that results in a work of art. Paula Zariņa - Zēmane experiments with the medium of painting and its physical possibilities. She subjects the form to changes, in a sense, manipulating the viewer's understanding of art as a place for the invisible. These sensitive fragmentations of the landscape involve a two-sided viewing experience, giving the painting the qualities of an observer. Among the tonally muted canvases, elements of human nature emerge - an eye, gaze, touch, abstract and rapid strokes that tend to remind of light. In contrast, there are two portals (sources of force). Looking at them for a longer moment and allowing yourself to experience the artist's created spaciousness of the colors, the glossy large-format works resonate on an almost physically vibrating level. In the exhibition, it is emphasized by ceramic objects. Paula defines her practice as magic realism. This belonging to a genre in which fantasy is as important as everyday ritual indicates the artist's consciously sensitive approach to the art medium and its content. Answering the question of whether the thinking process is more verbal or visual, Zariņa - Zēmane confirms that she solves her thoughts in images and visions, which include the feeling of her future artwork. In this way, a unique "filter" of stories and ideas has been created through which to look at what is happening in the surroundings and the world. The title given to the exhibition "Eyes Open, Closed" illustrates the artist's life with the stories/pictures in her eyes. Supported by: State Culture Capital Foundation Artist bio: Paula Zariņa - Zēmane obtained a master's degree (2013) from the Painting Department of the Art Academy of Latvia, enriched her knowledge Ecole Superieure d'art de Lorient (2009) in France and resided at the Cité Internationale des Arts (2014). . She has been participating in exhibitions since 2008, both in Latvia and abroad, and has organised 11 solo shows, including "Possibilities" (2023, Tartu Art House, Tartu, Estonia), "One as Another" (2018, Careva Contemporary, Riga, Latvia), "The Still Point of the Turning World" (2017, Arsenāls Exhibition Hall of the Latvian National Museum of Art / Creative Studio, Riga, Latvia). Paula was also nominated for the "Kilograms of Culture" award in the "Event of the Year" category for the project “Awarenesses. Four Exhibitions" (2015, Mark Rothko Art Center, Daugavpils, Latvia) Paula has illustrated poetry books ("Rainis.Cilvēks", compiled by Ilmārs Šlāpins and "Crazy life" by Benno Popļanskis), music albums (The Sound Poets, "Your Story", 2013, 2023) and created drawings for the documentary film "No . 105555" (2023) by Andrejs Verhoustinskis, which was nominated for the "Lielais Kristaps" award. The collection of essays on contemporary art by curator and writer Jurriaan Benschop ("Why Paintings Work", Garret Publications) published in 2023 includes the works of Paula Zariņa - Zēmane.