Jānis Avotiņš: Find A Point From Which To See And Yet Avoid The Glow

Jānis Avotiņš’s idiosyncratic, aesthetically refined paintings have made him one of the most promising young Latvian artists. His style is unmistakable: With highly atmospheric density, Avotiņš paints human figures in unreal spaces. The grainy, cloudy visual language is reminiscent of the faded photographs from the early days of the medium. Occasionally, the figures seem to detach from the surface; the outlines become blurred and diminish, thus symbolizing moments of transformation and dissipation. This allows Avotiņš’s paintings to capture the volatility and thrownness of human existence in a particularly moving way. Jānis Avotiņš has kept pursuing his deep interest in the human condition in his new works, creating his characteristic setting with figures who are introverted or at times seem lost in considerate conversation.