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BIO
Irina Spakova is a Latvian visual artist, working predominantly in painting.
Holding Ba & Ma degrees in Visual Arts, took part in several exchange programs and internships around Europe and South East Asia. Since year 2009 participating in group shows, experimental collaborations with professionals from the fields of comics making and illustration.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I paint, draw and create things to share and exchange my accumulated self.I digest outer and inner worlds by observing and embracing them with all my presence.
I memorise, I collect the moments. I pick what touches me and draws a question mark.
In painting, I spit out my cocktails of thoughts and feelings through mostly expressive and
broad brush strokes or simple but precise lines.
I pull ideas from my memory suitcase,
I juggle with my visions, creating
Fragile&delicate with brutal& raw.
Direct contact,
Flow
Movement&Improvisation
with focus and trust
are my recipe for Life&Art.
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IRINA SPAKOVA Visual artist from Riga/ Latvia
03.12.87
Education:
2011- 2014 Art Academy of Latvia, Master of Arts degree in the Humanities, Painting department
2012-2013 Internship in Patio das Artistas school in Lisbon, Portugal
2010-2011 Studies in University of Fine Arts in Porto, Portugal
2007 - 2011 Art Academy of Latvia, Bachelor of Arts degree in the Humanities, Painting departmentGrants and scholarships:
2017-2018 Darmasiswa scholarship, studies(traditional music, gamelan) at ISI Denpasar (Bali,Indonesia)
2014- 2015 Darmasiswa scholarship, studies(Minangkabao culture and arts, handcrafts) at ISI Padang Panjang (West Sumatra, Indonesia)Work experience:
2022 Art teacher at BJC Laimite Education centre (Riga, Latvia)
2019-2021 Art assistant and teacher at London Gates Education centre (Riga, Latvia)
2017-2018 SAPU Upcycle jewellery designer and workshop organiser (Bali, Indonesia)
2014 Visual arts teacher in Art Lab school (Riga, Latvia)
2013 Visual arts teacher in Patio das Artistas school (Cascais, Portugal)
Solo exhibition:
2023 "Human touch" at Aminori Art space (Riga, Latvia)
2021 "Human touch" at Culture and Recreation Center "Imanta" (Riga, Latvia)
2021 "Human touch" at Classical Art gallery Antonija (Riga, Latvia)
2017 “From West to East to West” at Kalnciema Kvartals (Riga, Latvia)
2017 Book launching and exhibition “From West to East to West” at Kersan Art Studio
(Yogyakarta, Indonesia)2016 Solo show “I” at Soma Art Space (Melbourne, Australia)
Art residency:
2013 Project “La Porta do Machico”, Pedra Sina residency (Madeira, Portugal)
Symposium:
2022 International Painting Symposium "SILVA LINARTE 2022", Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, Latvia
Selected Group Exhibitions and activities:
2024 Group show "FORESIGHT”, Art Platz gallery, Riga, Latvia
2024 Group show "When the cannons are silent”, Mark Rothko Art Centre, Daugavpils, Latvia
2023 Group show "KONTAKTS", Culture centre Ziemelblazma, Riga, Latvia
2022 SILVA LINARTE 2022 Symposium group show, Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, Latvia
2021 Group show “Es un jura”, Jurmala City Museum, Jurmala, Latvia
2021 Group show “Legalized fantasies”, Mark Rothko Art Centre, Daugavpils, Latvia
2020 “Daba tevī”, comics exhibtion for Greenfest 20’, Kafijas Garaza gallery, Sigulda, Latvija
2019 Supported by Erasmus+ ComEdu meeting (Creating Comics for Education). International co-working meeting in Cascais for educators/ youth workers and artists(Cascais, Portugal)
2019 Group exhibition at Amadora Comics Festival (Lisbon, Portugal)
2019 Supported by Erasmus+ ComEdu meeting (Creating Comics for Education). International co-working meeting in Latvia for educators/ youth workers and artists(Talsi, Latvia)
2018 year Mural project in collaboration with Rudy Ardianto supported by NGO Happy Heart foundation (Sumba, Indonesia)
2016 year Performance “Emotional dialog”, Festival Ring of Performance (Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
2015 year “Women lead” at Iris gallery/Hotel Jogja Village Inn (Jogyakarta,Indonesia)
2014 year“Parmits”, Valmieras Art Museum (Riga, Latvia)
2011 year BALTICA-ATLANTICA at Casa Amarela (Porto Portugal)
2010 year Erasmus student group exhibition in faculty of Belas Artes (Porto Portugal)
2010 year Young At Art (Zurich, Switzerland)
2010 year Bubble Project (Stockholm, Sweden)
2010 year 5th International Student Triennial (Stambul, Turkey)
2010 year Baltic Fine Art Student and Young Artist Artwork Competition, Gallery Global Art Room( Riga Latvia)Publications:
2020 Illustration for Arterritory electronic book “Par Labāku Pasauli”
https://arterritory.com/lv/vizuala_maksla/projekti/24711-izkraso
2019 Art of Hate competition anthology from 3rd Frame Prague Comics Art Festival 2019
(148x210,260 pages, colour, soft cover)
www.framefestival.cz
www.centrala.org.uk
Works are currently held in Mark Rothko Art Centre collection,
in private collections in Latvia, Australia and Brasil.