November 21, 2024 – January 25, 2025
Exhibition "SievietES": A Tribute to Aspazija's Vaidelote 130 Years Later
This is not the first time that three artists from different media—ceramicist and sculptor Rita Pranca, graphic artist Evija Freidenfelde, and ceramicist-sculptor Sanita Čevere—have joined forces in a collective exhibition.
The artist group ArtPart has previously successfully showcased their works in exhibitions such as "The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us" at Sigulda's Devons (2023) and "Germinatio" at the Aizkraukle History and Art Museum (2024). These exhibits highlighted each artist’s individual style while showcasing their ability to create harmonious interplay as a group.
The exhibition "SievietES" at Aspazija's House is a tribute to the 130th anniversary of the first staging of Aspazija's play Vaidelote. The profound message of this play serves as the inspiration for this project. The exhibition offers a multilayered perspective on women's experiences, exploring timeless questions of identity, freedom, and self-realization. Through their works, the artists invite us to reflect on the role of women in society and feminine culture as an alternative to the patriarchal system. The pieces examine female subjectivity, spaces of memory, and generational continuity, emphasizing women as creators and healers.
The artists employ diverse artistic expressions to visualize women's experiences, vulnerability, and fragility. This is evident in Evija Freidenfelde's intimate drawings "Seed I" and "Seed II" (2024, canvas/mixed media, 140 x 95 cm), as well as her portraits. Rita Pranca's sculpture "Vaidelote" (2024, clay, wire, metal frame, 160 x 50 x 50 cm) plays with the interplay of illusory wholeness and fragmentation, reflecting the inner transformations of women and their search for identity.
Tenderness and care are not only qualities traditionally associated with women but also powerful tools in the fight for justice and equality. Sanita Čevere's porcelain and stoneware relief "Illusion of Happiness" (1.05 x 0.64 m, 2024) highlights the emotional labor required to drive change.
Though the exhibition is modest in scale, it is rich in references to pressing and sensitive issues. Together, the works form a unified narrative from the ArtPart members, portraying the diversity of women’s experiences and their uniquely personal “Self” – their "SievietES".
The creative process is always unpredictable—its outcomes and paths remain unknown, as do the challenges to be faced. In crafting joint exhibitions, the ArtPart artists have transformed their creative energy into synergy, enhancing and amplifying their individual abilities. Their success lies in capturing life’s essence from different perspectives and combining these into a shared vision while excelling in their respective artistic disciplines.
Agnese KurzemnieceCurator
Foto: Ojārs Griķis, ArtisVeigurs
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