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This section features coins whose design was created by the artist – from the initial concept to the final visual solution.
In the diverse community of Latvian textile artists, known for its vibrant and distinctive personalities, Arvīds Priedīte has always stood out with his innovative compositional solutions, particularly through the spaciousness of his works woven using the tapestry technique, incorporating and highlighting the significance of spaciousness in figurative expression. Spaciousness is often successfully paired with hyper-realistic depictions of individual figures or elements within the composition, as seen in works such as Durvis (The Door, 1977), Via Appia (1979), Kāda cilvēka atdzimšana (Revival of a Man, 1983), and Senču laiva (The Boat of Ancestors, 1984), among others. Arvīds Priedīte created his poignantly lyrical works, often expressed through folklore imagery and motifs, in the 1980s and 1990s as significant societal developments and even existential themes became prominent in Latvian decorative art. These works include Bārenītes slavināšana I (Glorification of the Orphan I, 1988) and Bārenītes slavināšana II (Glorification of the Orphan II, 1991). Through refined compositional techniques and a strong sense of pictorialism, the artist skilfully bridges the ancient past with the present, imparting a sense of time and depth of meaning to his subjects. An unexpected, witty thought process, a focused expression achieved through the elimination of the unnecessary, and a masculine composure infused with touches of warm, even tender, lyricism – this is what he is like in all his creative expressions.
Arvīds Priedīte was born on 22 September 1946 in Īvande.
He graduated from the Decorative Design Department of Riga Secondary School of Applied Arts in 1967 and from the Textile Art Department of the Art Academy of Latvia in 1972.
He works in textile art, design graphics, and poster design, focusing primarily on interior design in recent years and now also venturing into painting. In his artwork, he draws on his extensive knowledge of art history, his keen ability to recognise and replicate the distinctive characteristics of various styles and artists' signature techniques, as well as his hyper-realistic skills and a good-natured sense of humour. The artist could easily be an exceptional counterfeiter of ancient artworks; however, he finds it irresistible to portray himself as a saving angel or to substitute the face of a historical figure with the well-known features of a contemporary personality. He has created graphic designs for around 15 coins.
The artist has participated in exhibitions since 1971, showcasing Latvian textile art in both specialised and major joint exhibitions in Latvia and abroad, including Italy, France, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Poland, and more. He has held two solo exhibitions in Riga: one for textile art in 1983 and another for painting in 2021.
Arvīds Priedīte has been a member of the Latvian Artists' Union since 1976.
He was awarded a medal by the Latvian SSR Artists' Union for Outstanding Creative Achievement of the Year in 1984. Several Latvijas Banka's collector coins featuring graphic designs by Arvīds Priedīte have received the title of Coin of the Year, including "Baron Münchhausen" (2005), "Lucky Coin" (2008), and "The Coin of the Seasons" (2014). Additionally, the coin "Song Festival" was granted a special award by the Latvian Television programme 100 Grams of Culture in 2008.
His works are kept in the collection of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design of the Latvian National Museum of Art and the collection of the Latvian Artists' Union Museum.
The biography was prepared by Rūta Muižniece,
Master of Arts
