Exhibition marks Kārlis Padegs 100th anniversary

Padegs, a strong advocate of figural arts, was a very sensitive person, and his works also display certain features of Expressionism and New Objectivity, even surrealism, as well as the lesser-known fin de siècle Decadence.

The paintings that made Kārlis Padegs famous have no place for themes to please the tastes of society or comply with academic canons. Marking the artist's 100th anniversary, part of the exhibition is dedicated to Padegs' works created during his studies at the Art Academy of Latvia.

Padegs' paintings and drawings made during his studies at the Art Academy in 1928-1934 range from ones made to meet the requirements of the academic programme to others that demonstrate the free spirit and creative personality of the artist.

At the heart of the exhibition is a collection of about 30 drawings by Kārlis Padegs, portraits and figures, which were kept in a Riga apartment up until the end-1970s in a kitchen cabinet beside a potato basket.

Besides these drawings made while Padegs was a student, there are also the so-called "free" drawings of the same period that deeply impressed Padegs' fellow students, as well as his provocative diploma work "Doks" (The Dock, 1934), which was in stark contrast with most works presented by students in Vilhelms Purvītis-led Landscape Art workshop.