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This section features coins whose design was created by the artist – from the initial concept to the final visual solution.
An architect by education, he also likes to explore furniture design, graphics, and other branches of design. "I am fascinated – and it seems important to me – to work on various scales," admits Mārcis Kalniņš. "This allows me to see and assess things from different perspectives".
Until now, he has primarily worked in architectural groups of varying sizes both in Latvia and in countries like France, the Netherlands, and others. This diverse experience in architectural offices across Europe allows Mārcis Kalniņš to tap into a wealth of inspiration and to increasingly implement his ideas independently, particularly in the realm of design.
He established his own furniture brand MKLN Furniture, which has been active since 2014. The furniture designed by Mārcis Kalniņš and crafted in Latvia is simple, visually appealing, and easy to assemble and transport. It is made of wood combined with organic glass, primarily used for the furniture legs. This design gives the furniture a light and airy feel, as if it is floating above the ground, while enhancing the play of light in the room. Everything is meticulously thought out down to the smallest detail, including the string on the instruction envelope. Orders are received from Latvia, the USA, Japan, Russia, and several European countries.
The choice of translucent yet highly durable ceramic material, perlucor, contributed to the artist's success in his first work in coin art when designing the graphic for the coin "The Earth" (2016). At the centre of a perlucor circle enclosed by a silver ring, a small, embossed silver globe appears to "float" in the transparent space of the Universe, glimmering like a treasured object to be cherished. The coin was sold out within a few hours.
Mārcis Kalniņš was born on 2 April 1987 in Riga.
He studied at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at Riga Technical University, earning a Bachelor's degree in architecture in 2013. At the same time, he enhanced his knowledge at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at Vienna Technical University (2010) and participated in summer schools of the European Student Assembly in Cádiz, Spain (2011), and Helsinki, Finland (2012). Alongside his work, he continued his education in France (2016–2018) while working at the architectural firm Chambers Architects in Paris.
He has received numerous awards and recognitions in competitions for architectural projects and completed works, where he served as a member of an architectural group. Latvijas Banka's collector coin "The Earth" was recognised as the Best Coin of the Year in Latvia (2016) and also received the award for the best coin in the "Original Technology" category at the international collector coin competition "Coin Constellation – 2017" in Moscow (Russia). The coin "Linden Leaf", dedicated to urban environment ecology, was recognised as the Best Coin of the Year in Latvia (2020).
The biography was prepared by Rūta Muižniece,
Master of Arts
