Since January 13, an exhibition of watercolor works by artist Janis Spalvins titled 'Observer of Water' has been taking place in the exhibition hall of the tower of the Holy Trinity Church in Jelgava.
Janis Spalvins (1948–2021) graduated from the Riga Secondary School of Applied Arts and the State Academy of Arts. The artist was a member of the Latvian Artists' Union and participated in exhibitions since 1974, showcasing his works in Latvia, Germany, Japan, Finland, China, India, Australia, and more. He actively participated in the work of the European International Association of Visual Arts (IAA/AIAP UNESCO) and headed its Latvian national committee. Janis Spalvins worked energetically and diversely as a painter, decorative artist, multimedia artist, exhibition and display designer, book illustrator, curator of international projects, symposiums, and exhibitions. Initially, the artist exhibited works in a modernist style, created in mixed and acrylic techniques; however, watercolor became dominant in his work.
Writer and art historian Gundega Repse describes Janis Spalvins's work as follows: “Nearby and distant horizons, an unconscious surplus of color, and the connection of individual details with this world gave his works a certain detachment and space for trajectories of thought. At the same time, he experimented with technical diversity and the possibilities of watercolor painting. Watercolor painting was a celebration for him, his freedom, his refuge. Perhaps that is why Janis's works are so multifaceted. And often painful, as the longing for the distant, unknown, other can be. For another life.”
The exhibition at the Holy Trinity Church in Jelgava will be open until February 22, 2026.
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