Above the Chimney Painting

Kristine Abika was born in Riga, Latvia, in 1975, lives and works in Latvia. After graduating Janis Rozentāls Riga Art High School, she continued her studies at the Latvian Academy of Arts and received a BA in Stage Design and an MA in Painting. After studies, she continued to work actively in both fields, participating in exhibitions, making costumes and stage design for theater performances in Latvia and abroad. Painting, texture and linearity are the main means of expression that have been essential, now replacing canvas with used metal surfaces and interest of objects coming out of the surface. For several years work in theater has been a very intense phase with more than 50 performances. She has received Russian theater prize CHAIKA for costumes, and she has received several nominations for her work in Latvia. She has integrated her painting principles - texture and close-up importance - into costumes and stage design, having a nuanced sense for poetic nature of substance. Similarly, it is with her passion for things and objects that are not classified as valuable antiquities. Kristine creates an imaginative story for each object and includes it in her work - portraits of small, unnecessary things observed in monumental size; she has always been fascinated by the importance of close-ups and framing in composition and in life in general. Kristine’s inspirations come from the work of Richard Serra, Francesco Clemente, Amadeo Modigliani, Giorgio Morandi and architecture, especially brutalism, photography from the 20th century beginning, as well as monumentalism and minimalism. She has organized 10 solo exhibitions, participated in several group exhibitions in Latvia and abroad. Her works are in private collections in Latvia, USA, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, Russia, Australia and other countries.