In total 35 pieces of young artists were sold on first-ever Latvian Young Art Auction held last week, where highest price of 3000€ was paid for Ella Mežule’s painting “Atceros kā Tu man stāstīsi, par cilvēkiem, ko Tu piedzīvosi un notikumiem, kas būs manas atmiņas”.
Another highlight was the most intense bidding for “Observation Nr. 22” by Anna Pabērza, which attracted altogether 15 bids from people gathered at the event in Riga’s Kimmel Quarter as well as ones taking part in the auction online. Exhibition visitors’ favorite was painting “Let’s do it again” by Klāvs Loris (sold for €2500), followed by “Nebeidzamā Pirts” by Kristiāna Poce and “Ķengarags” by Ēriks Caune.
According to curator Raivis Alksnis, the event demonstrated that young Latvian artists are gaining recognition not only locally but across the region, as several pieces were bought by Estonian young art collectors. “Our neighbors have much longer experience with young art auctions where similar events have been taken place already ten times and highest bids have reached over 20 thousand euros,” adds Alksnis and promises the successful auction in Riga was a start of a new tradition.
One of the initiators of the Latvian Young Art Auction, Invego founder and art collector Kristjan‑Thor Vähi, highlights the value and energy of young art: “Every new home in Latvia deserves a piece of local art — it brings character and soul to a living space. Young art is exciting, innovativeand inspiring, capturing the spirit of the moment. And it’s often far more accessible than people expect, making it not only a meaningful choice for new homeowners, but also a wonderful gift for a new home.”
The auction showcased 50 works by 29 emerging Latvian artists and attracted active participation both in person and online via jaunamaksla.lv.
Following the success of this debut and building on Estonia’s longstanding experience, the next auction is already planned for this autumn.