Working quietly and in near obscurity during the dark days of the Latvian Soviet period, Visvaldis Ziediņš (1942-2007) amassed a remarkable body of work that comprises over 3,000 sculptures, paintings, drawings and installations. These works engage a wide array of human experiences, touching on everything from the vastness of the cosmos and the mysteries of religion to the hidden structures of nature and the absurdity of human civilisation. Ziediņš employed those materials that were at hand, creating his work out of the simple stuff of everyday life – crushed tins, driftwood, old tools, bottle caps, marmalade boxes, and discarded packing materials. While his material and physical circumstances were extremely limited, his imagination was not.

This exhibition will highlight Ziediņš’ work in assemblage and collage, with a particular focus on works that address his ability to leap across the artificial boundaries created by national borders, political ideologies and pre-established social networks. A number of his witty and penetrating self-portraits in various media will be included.

Visvaldis Ziediņš attended the Decorative Design Department at the Liepāja School of Applied Arts. He did not enter the Latvian Academy of Art because he was confident that his professional foundation was sufficient to devote the rest of his life to creative investigations that would be independent of the official Soviet art system.

Official opening on 12 June at 17:30