BEHIND THE FACADE: An Archive of Faces

Agnese Kurzemniece is a Latvian painter and installation artist whose figurative acrylic paintings delve into the complex relationship between women and the concept of home. Her works frequently combine canvas or linen paintings with installation elements.
In her own words: "To explore this theme and develop various approaches, I have examined it through multiple lenses."
These installations utilize paintings from the series "Livescapes: The Archive of Faces" where Kurzemniece investigates this concept through human psychology and the body. The underlying premise is that our sense of home, security, belonging, and harmony resides within us. The artist symbolically uses skin to represent the boundary between our private and public selves.
Agnese views skin as more than just the body's largest organ, providing us with sensation and protection. She sees it as the sheltering shell of our soul and life experiences. Throughout our lives, our skin endures and reflects everything we encounter – from visible marks like bruises, scars, and tattoos to the less noticeable traces of caresses and gentle touch. Like life itself, skin constantly renews and transforms, existing in a multitude of colors, tones, and conditions, embodying the richness of our diverse identities and experiences. By incorporating additional elements, Kurzemniece imbues her paintings with new layers of meaning and dimension.