Painter Kristīne Rubene's solo exhibition opens in Kuldīga

The Kuldīga Artists' Residence gallery at Pils Street 2 has opened a solo exhibition by painter and Latvian Academy of Art lecturer Kristīne Rubene titled "Searching for Lost Time". It runs through September 27.

The exhibition brings together the artist's recent works, in which nature appears both on a large scale — clouds, trees — and in fine detail, such as wild strawberries and flowers. Some of the paintings were created specifically for this space after Rubene visited the gallery in person.

Slow painting

Rubene works very slowly, using a glazing technique in which layers of oil paint are applied one at a time, each left to dry before the next is added. A single large-format painting can take three to four months to complete — an approach she calls "slow painting".

From a chance meeting to an exhibition

The idea for an exhibition in Kuldīga arose from a chance encounter with gallery director Mārtiņš Dambergs last year, when Rubene happened to view the gallery's rooms. Exhibition curator Raimonds Kalējs noted at the opening that Rubene herself was largely the author of the exhibition's concept, as well as its curator and designer.

In recent years the artist has focused on nature, whereas earlier in her career she was more interested in people and their emotions.

New role and workshops

Rubene has recently taken over as head of the painting department at the Latvian Academy of Art, where she hopes to place greater emphasis on craft skills while preserving creativity. In Kuldīga she will also lead two watercolor workshops, on August 29 and September 19, open to participants with no prior painting experience. Advance registration is required.