“Postmark. Image of Latvia: Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja’s Personal Exhibition at MuseumLV and Grata JJ Culture Center”

From June 10 to July 29, 2023, an ambitious personal exhibition of the artist Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja “Postmark. Image of Latvia. Versions of Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja” will be held in the premises of the MuseumLV art gallery and the Grata JJ Culture Center. the long-term and successful cooperation with Latvijas Pasta. The artist has made around 100 stamps with very diverse themes in thirty years. These are separate stamps and series “National costumes”, “Christmas”, “Gloves”, “Ethnographic ornaments”, “Latvian National Armed Forces”, “Saeima”, “Latvian lighthouses”, “Nature protection”, “Excellent Latvian science and culture personalities”, “Latvian museums”, “Europe”. The artist’s stamps are characterized by an informative and visually saturated detailed composition, details developed to filigree craftsmanship, the ability to create vivid messages – miniature stories about our country, our values ​​and ideals. Therefore, Arta Ozola-Jaunarai can rightly be considered one of the leading creators of the visual image of Latvia as a country.

A postage stamp is a miniature work of art that is difficult to exhibit in order to convincingly exhibit its visual qualities. It is often much more attractive to see the work in progress. Therefore, the exposition will represent sketches, drafts, original drawings, prints, blocks of issued stamps, enlarged digital copies of them, first-day envelopes with stamps, photographs, as well as individual items depicted on stamps from the Riga History and Shipping Museum, the Riga Porcelain Museum and “Tautas for the collections of the costume center “Senā Klēts” as well as private collections with the aim of revealing the anatomy of the creative work process of one author, starting from research, the first sketch to the final result in this miniature field of applied graphic design.

The exhibition will also show a small part of the children’s book illustrations created by Artas Ozolas-Jaunarājas – Latvijas Pasts has also dedicated several stamps to them. Stamps dedicated to this theme created by the artist will complement the series of collages for her own written and illustrated book “Mole and Silver Shoes” (Star ABC. Another unifying and equally characteristic old symbol of the post office – the pigeons depicted in this book – installations with them will be on display on both floors of the gallery.

At the opening of the exhibition, the event of the presentation of the stamp dedicated to the Song Festival, made by the artist Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja, is planned.

About the artist Arta Ozola-Jaunarai.

Arta Ozola-Jaunaraja was born on January 10, 1963 in Jelgava. Graduated from the Latvian Academy of Arts with a specialty in graphics (1988), received a master’s degree in humanities (2003).

Fields of activity – portrait graphics (etching, cold needle, letterpress, etc. techniques), book illustrator (collaboration with Jānis Roze, Jumava, Daugava, Walters and Rapa, Alberts XII, Artava, Press House, Rasa ABC, Star ABC, Nordic, Vaga etc.); advertising and graphic design, packaging and coin design. Participates in exhibitions since 1986. Member of the Artists’ Union of Latvia since 1993. She has held personal exhibitions in Riga (portrait graphics; 1994), in the gallery “Senā klēts” (a series of stamps dedicated to folk costumes, 1997), in the Jelgava History and Art Museum (together with V. Dzērvi, the painting cycle “Dorian’s travels”, 2021), “Apocalypse. Horseman No. 4”, Riga Central Library Exhibition Hall (under the pseudonym Marija Antoinette, together with V. Dzērvi paintings, objects, installations, video, 2022). Book competition Golden apple tree, as well as a member of the jury of the international book competition of the Baltic States (2014, 2020). Received international recognition as a book illustrator, including 1st prize at the 21st inter-republic book design and illustration competition (1988), diploma at the 2nd Riga Miniature Graphics Triennale (1990); diploma in book art triennial Vilnius-90; diploma and prize at the Baltic graphic design triennial in Sweden (1993); multiple winner of the Most Beautiful Book of the Year (2001–2005) competition; main prize in the book art competition Golden apple tree (2008), diploma at Riga Picture Book Quadrennial (2014).

In the collection coin series of the Bank of Latvia, the design was created for the coins “Krišjānis Barons”, “Krišjānis Valdemārs”, “Rainis” and “Rainis and Aspazija”, which won an award in the international coin competition “Coin Constellation 2016”.

She has made around 100 stamps for Latvijas Pasta and the artist’s cooperation with Latvijas Pasta continues. The artist’s stamps have won the Most Beautiful Stamp of the Year award several times (2011, 2013, 2019).

Curator of the exhibition – Irēna Bužinska