Strengthening the link between creativity and the growing role of the forest in Latvia, the “Latvijas valsts meži Art Scholarship” competition is being held for the eighth year running. In their work, young artists draw associations with the sustainable development of the environment and the growing role of the forest in Latvia, seeking their own place in this process. This year the 1500 euro scholarship for the further development of artistic talent went to Matilde Sproģe, a second-year student on the Painting course of the Art Academy of Latvia's bachelor's programme, for her work "Negaidīta kompānija" ("Unexpected Company").
“I am pleasantly surprised to have received the scholarship. I did not expect my work to be among the favourites, as others might find it a little frightening. I live outside the city, very close to the forest, and in the late evening hours I very much enjoy going for walks, including in the forest. The feeling in the forest is then slightly eerie, but at the same time I like it very much and find it alluring, so I wanted to convey that feeling in my work as well. The forest as an environment inspires me; I often go walking there to relax. I am truly delighted to have received the scholarship,” says Matilde Sproģe.
The 13 works by this year's finalists in the art scholarship competition are dominated by the character of oil and acrylic painting – from spare fields of colour, thick and saturated brushstrokes, to fine, realistic detail in depictions of nature, animals and people. Two works created using the artists' own techniques also reached the final of the scholarship competition.
This year also continued the tradition, established last year, of presenting an audience award at the “Latvijas valsts meži Art Scholarship”. For the second time it went to Kristīne Priedīte, a second-year student on the Restoration course of the academy's master's programme, for her work “Mistēriju nakts mežā” (“Night of Mysteries in the Forest”). As the artist herself notes, she drew inspiration for this work from a night-time photograph of a forest, giving it her own interpretation and capturing the mystical enchantment of that moment.
During the event, the finalists were congratulated by LVM Head of Public Relations Inga Kalna, who expressed the hope that taking part in the LVM scholarship competition had given them a broader understanding of forestry matters and the role of growing forests in mitigating climate change. Andris Vītoliņš, Vice-Rector for Administrative and Creative Work at the Art Academy of Latvia, meanwhile noted the high quality of the competition – both in the standard of the finalists' works and in the running of the competition itself, which gave the emerging artists fresh experience of a professional exhibition.
The works by the finalists of the “Latvijas valsts meži Art Scholarship 2024” can be seen in an exhibition at the LVM customer centre in Riga until 13 December.
Since 2017, the “Latvijas valsts meži Art Scholarship” competition has been organised by AS “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM) in cooperation with the Art Academy of Latvia (LMA), in order to foster among students an understanding of the forest as Latvia's largest renewable resource, one that is constantly growing. Entrants were required to create associations in a painting between art and the sustainable development of the environment. As part of the competition, students must link their creative work with the growing importance of the forest in Latvia's national economy.