Press Releases

It is with a great pleasure that we were informed of Artmajeur magazine’s decision to include Ilgvar Zalans’s work from the Colonial Beauty collection of portraits into their latest edition (Autumn 2017). “Java Season” portrait is presented under nr. 9 in the portraits’ section. We are humbled and grateful for the editor’s decision.

It has been an intensive and successful year for the Latvian painter Ilgvаrs Zalans: his works were shown at Scope Basel in June, Art Copenhagen in September and, now, in December, at Scope Miami Beach. The works of Zalans will be presented by the art gallery “Bastejs”, based in Riga, Latvia.

Scope Miami Beach, the biggest worldwide professional show of modern art, has gathered over 900 million dollars in sales during the last 15 years. In 2015 the organizers of the Scope aim to attract over 45 000 visitors to the historical pavilion on Ocean Drive. All the participants are going through the meticulous selection process – only the works able to attract the attention of the professional collectors and curators will be represented.

For the exhibition Ilgvars Zalans has prepared his latest female portraits from the “Colonial Beauty” series, first presented about a year ago in Riga. “In these works I’ve tried to combine my understanding of the sensual feminine beauty with the aesthetic tendencies and color combinations that were close to me. I see the success of this series in the balance between realism and abstraction, making the images understandable, yet leaving enough space for the viewer’s interpretation”.

Even though the artist has visited about 50 countries in the last 10 years, this is his first time in the U.S.: “It is important for me to exhibit my works for the audience of the professional spectators. It is a challenge, a possibility to evaluate the competitiveness of what I do. The U.S. art market is specially well suited for that – the culture of investing in art objects is very strong here.

(see the text of the article in Latvian language  – TV Net news portal)

Ilgvar Zalans, having visited during the last 10 years about 50 countries in the different parts of the world, in his homeland is known for his bright colours, free, however very precise, painting manner and very personal perspective and vision of places and people, which he is sharing with the spectator. Solo shows of Mr Zalans have been regularly taking place in Latvia and beyond its borders. Last solo shows of the artist abroad took place in Perahu (Indonesia) and Salzburg (Austria).

Ilgvar Zalans says: “I am extremely grateful for the given opportunity to showcase my works during the iconic Art Basel week – this is a great platform for any artist and a chance to enhance his/her professional potential”. This year Scope Basel art show is happening for the 9th time, showcasing the works of the leading artists on the modern art market. Scope is also happenning in Miami and now also in South Korea.

The series of the women’s portraits, some of which will be showcased during the show, was initiated by Ilgvars Zalans during his travels in South-East Asia. “I have chosen the format of the portrait, as it allows to create my own interpretation within the borders of the classical genre. For creation of these works I draw my inspiration from the last travels in Indonesia, China and Malaysia”, – shares the artist. Ilgvar Zalans has graduated from the Art Academy of Latvia in 1992 and since then has worked in the international art residencies in Spain, Netherlands, Japan, India, Philippines, Indonesia and other countries.

(see the text of the article in Latvian language in “Latvijs Avize” – article in daily “Latvijas Avize” )

Regulāri apceļojot un kopš 2008. gada arī dzīvojot bijušajās Rietumvalstu kolonijās Dienvidaustrumāzijā, nācies personīgi saskarties ar šo sajūtu, kad, pārceļoties uz jaunu valsti, integrējoties tās kultūrvidē, piedaloties mākslas procesos, rietumu kultūras modelis tiek eksportēts un pielāgots lokālajiem apstākļiem. Tas izpaužas kā formu vienkāršošana, reducēšana un jaunās vides – dabas, klimata, etnosa – atainojums (review of the exhibition in the biggest daily “Diena”).

Bridges, which link and separate, which open new worlds and new opportunities allow to get enough courage and fearlessly go and explore the unknown. This is the description that can be given to the recent-year style of artist Ilgvars Zalāns – the ability to build a bridge between the western and eastern lifestyles, to bring to life what he has seen on that other bank – the bright light, the joy of colors, unusual features, and roughness of textures; the ability to express experienced moments and feelings encompassed in canvases, and to share them with a viewer in paintings (full text of the press release see here http://www.rothkocenter.com/rmc/ekspozicijas/Zalans/en).

In January 2014 Zalans has left for work in residence of Perahu Art Connection in Yogyakarta, Indonesia (http://perahuartconnection.com/). During the first 2 months he has completed 6 wonderful large format paintings (see in Gallery on zalans.com). We are looking forward to see more additions to the series of Indonesian Stories.

February was marked by the volcano eruption near Yogyakarta. Zalans is using fresh ashes in his paintings of volcanos – see more very soon!

Working out of Latvia, Riga, artist Ilgvars Zalans creates lush, vibrant pieces that are at once unsettling for their mashed up textures as they are eerily and awkwardly beautiful. Of his art, he says: ‘I focus on images and motifs that are fundamental, archetypal, and universal in human experience, as opposed to those that are socially determined’.

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В художественной галерее центрального офиса банка Rietumu в Риге открылась выставка Илгвара Заланса одного из наиболее известных сегодня в Европе и Азии современных латвийских художников. В экспозиции представлены его последние работы, навеянные впечатлениями от годичного путешествия в Китай и Малайзию.

Latvian artist Ilgvars Zalan’s recently travelled to Lisbon, Portugal, where je undertook the Long Journey, Short Reunion project, a ‘series of paintings and performances devoted to documenting charismatic cultural facts’. It’s all part of the world tour of art performances which will see him journey to France, Korea, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Singarpore and Greece, among many other destinations, to unveil his unique aesthetic sensibilities.

For Ilgvars Zalans, the traditional perspective is tied up not only to the geometry of the vision, but also to a specific static-quantitative relationship of the senses. In the perspective the sight assumes the character of dominion and perceptive control; the sight is the only sense that creates the illusion of spaces uniforms and connected.