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This section features coins whose design was created by the artist – from the initial concept to the final visual solution.
"Life is not a story about reaching the destination, but rather the journey itself, the ride, the process. The brilliance of the "Life" project is that I can create anything, yet everything somehow fits together seamlessly. It is a distinctly personal romanticism, a unique world shaped by fragments and impressions," Paulis Liepa describes his attitude towards life and art. "The life story of any person is hundreds of times richer and more valuable than any meticulously crafted script," he asserts, choosing to depict everyday details in his graphics. At first glance, these appear to be mere snapshots of fleeting moments from daily life. Yet soon comes the realisation that his details are, in fact, concentrated expressions of something vast, profound, and meaningful. A part of some endless, incomprehensible, eternal story. I feel as though I often find myself in an entirely different dimension of existence. This is also the title Paulis Liepa gave to one of his solo exhibitions (2004). The objects and locations depicted in his graphics appear to exist in alternate dimensions. Additionally, the spectator's emotions, moods, and thoughts are stirred, guided, and inspired.
There is no peace, and the theme of human existence remains inexhaustible. "We build our lives as if they are a never-ending project. We set our sights on a goal, yet life frequently alters our course, guiding us towards unexpected directions," explains the artist. Intrigued, surprised, and fascinated, the spectator follows him once more into new directions, seeking fresh truths. The depth of Paulis Liepa's ideas is both predictable and elusive; his thoughts extend beyond visual art, weaving into the fabric of culture. As he believes, culture is "the added value of human existence, revealing who we are and who we might become."
Paulis Liepa was born on 26 March 1978 in Riga.
He graduated from the Graphic Art Department of the Art Academy of Latvia with an MA in 2003. Paulis Liepa has been a lecturer at the Graphic Art Department of the Art Academy of Latvia, teaching mixed techniques, experimental graphics, and composition (since 2016).
He works in graphics, mostly in collagraphy and cardboard cutting techniques, paints in watercolours, creates book illustrations and designs, has ventured in animation, and produced music videos for Gustavo's song Esi brīvs (Be free) and Livingston's Kur vien ej, satiec sevi (Everywhere you go you meet yourself). In recent years, he has used his distinctive expansive graphic language to design various large-scale urban installations, such as the mural Kalnu kūre (Hill cure) in Cēsis (2021), etc.
He has been participating in exhibitions since 1997. Paulis Liepa represented Latvian art in the Baltic Watercolour Triennial in Riga (1997), Tallinn Print Triennial (2001), Latvian Watercolour Exhibition Distances in Heidelberg (Germany, 2001), the 8th Biennial of Graphics of the Baltic Sea Countries Kaliningrad–Konigsberg (Russia, 2005), the 3rd Graphics Exhibition of the Baltic States Power and Man in London (United Kingdom, 2006), the International Print Triennial in Krakow (Poland, 2012), Riga International Biennial of Contemporary Art RIBOCA (2018), etc. He has had more than 10 solo exhibitions.
Paulis Liepa was awarded Grand Prix at the 8th Biennial of Graphics of the Baltic Sea Countries Kaliningrad–Konigsberg (2005), Diena Annual Award in Culture for his solo exhibition Klusā daba (Nature Morte, 2013), and the main prize at the exhibition Grafika-S (Graphics-S, 2014). He was nominated for the Purvītis Prize for his 2017 solo exhibition Daiļo mākslu kabinets (Cabinet of the fine arts, 2019).
His works are kept in the collection of the Latvian Museum of Contemporary Art, Kaliningrad State Art Gallery in Russia, Deutsche Telekom art collection in Germany, Simmons Contemporary Art collection in London, etc.
The biography was prepared by Rūta Muižniece,
Master of Arts
