Bio.
Born 1985. Latvian-Armenian. Lived in the USA and the UK. Currently based in Latvia.
Education.
2015 - 2016 University of Brighton, MA Photography, Brighton, UK
2003 - 2008 International Institute of Practical Psychology (SPPA), BA Graphic Design, Riga, Latvia
Prizes and Awards.
2019 1st Prize: the Best Book Design of 2018/2019 by Mr. Page, Riga, Latvia
2019 PPDA 2019 Honorable Mention, Poznań, Poland
2019 Finalist of the Poznań Photo Diploma Award 2019, Poznań, Poland
2018 Finalist of the Riga Photography Biennial Award 2019 Seeking the Latest in Photography, Riga, Latvia
2018 - 2019 State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia Creative Grant, Latvia
2018 State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia Photobook Grant, Latvia
2018 State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia "For Latvia - 100" Exhibition Grant, Latvia
2017 99th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia Award at the Cultural Centre of Roja, Latvia
2017 Different Worlds: 2nd Prize at Photon - Centre for Contemporary Photography, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2017 Magnum Photos Graduate Photographers Award, Photo London, London, UK
2016 Slideluck Prato: Exhibition of the feature at Lato Gallery, Prato, Italy
2013 Advanced Wedding Photography: 1st Prize Coffee Story Table Book's cover in May, Miami, USA
2013 Advanced Wedding Photography: 1st Prize Coffee Story Table Book's cover in April, Miami, USA
2013 Advanced Wedding Photography: the best Coffee Story Table Book of the year, Miami, USA
2012 Carnival Cruise Lines: 1st Prize - Studio Photography Contest, Miami, USA
Nominations.
2023 "Magnum Foundation Heat Fellowship", Magnum Foundation, New York, USA
2023 “A New Gaze 4” Vontobel Contemporary Photography Prize, Zurich, Switzerland
2021 Plat(t)form 2022 Fotomuseum Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland
2021 Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award
2019 Shortlisted for the Best Book Design of 2018/2019 by Mr. Page, Riga, Latvia
2019 Aleksandra Pelēča Literary Prize, Talsi, Latvia
2019 Longlisted for Purvītis Prize, Riga, Latvia
2018 Kilogram of Culture (Kilograms kultūras) Award in Visual Art, Riga, Latvia
2018 Riga Photography Biennial Award 2019 Seeking the Latest in Photography, Riga, Latvia
2018 The 10th Book Award for the Best Photography Book in Central and Eastern Europe 2017-2018, 28th Festival Month of Photography, Bratislava, Slovakia
2017 Magnum Photos Graduate Photographers Award, Photo London, London, UK
2017 First Book Award, London, UK
Additional Education.
2013 Advanced Wedding Photography (AWP), Cozumel, Mexico
2010 Carnival Photo College, Miami, USA
2008 - 2009 Centre of Creative Learning 'Annas 2' (TJN), Photography, Riga, Latvia
2008 Art Academy of Latvia (LMA), Painting, Riga, Latvia
Workshops and art plein airs.
2021 Photobook Masterclass with Paulius Petraitis (Paul Paper), Kaunas Photography Gallery, Kaunas Lithuania
2021 Livland at the house Zembahi and Museum barn, Mazirbe, Latvia
2020 Livland at the house Zembahi and Museum barn, Mazirbe, Latvia
2018 Photobook as Object at the International Summer School of Photography (ISSP), Kuldiga, Latvia
2015 The Narrative Portrait at the International Summer School of Photography (ISSP), Kuldiga, Latvia
2009 Storytelling at the Centre of Creative Learning ‘Annas 2’ (TJN), Kolka, Latvia
2008 Visual Story at the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art (LCCA), Riga, Latvia
Residencies.
2020 - 2021 The 4th cycle of PARALLEL - European Photo Based Platform, Lisbon, Portugal
2019 - 2020 The 3rd cycle of PARALLEL - European Photo Based Platform, Lisbon, Portugal
2017 Moving Visual Stories Forward at the Docking Station, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Jury
2020 Egona Spura Ceļš, Ogres Fotoklubs, Ogre, Latvia
2018 Participation as an expert in portfolio reviews at Kaunas Photo festival, Kaunas, Lithuania
2018 Participation in expert committee at the Art Academy of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
Artist talks, lectures, events and seminars.
2023 Polycopies with Milda Books, Paris Photo, Paris, France
2023 Artist Talk at the Talsu Fotoklubs, Talsi, Latvia
2022 Artist Talk during the museum night at the branch of the Roja Sea Fishing Museum, Kaltene, Latvia
2022 Visiting Lectures (BA Photography in Social Sciences in Communication Studies) at the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU), Riga, Latvia
2021 Public discussion and podcast "Photobooks" at the National Library of Latvia, moderator Baiba Tetere, Riga, Latvia
2020 Artist Talk at the Egona Spura Ceļš, Ogre Cultural Center, Ogre, Latvia
2020 Public discussion "Atstatuvums" at the ISSP Gallery, moderator Rūta Muktupāvela, curator Katrīna Jaunupe, Riga, Latvia
2020 Visiting Lectures (BA Photography in Social Sciences in Communication Studies) at the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU), Riga, Latvia
2020 Visiting Lecture at the ISSP School, Riga, Latvia
2020 Visiting Lecture at the Dobeles PIUAC, Dobele, Latvia
2020 Artist Talk at The Library Project (PhotoIreland), Parallel Curatorship, Dublin, Ireland
2019 Kaunas Art Book Fair with Milda Books, Kaunas, Lithuania
2019 Polycopies with Milda Books, Paris Photo, Paris, France
2019 Artist Talk at the Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center, Budapest, Hungary
2019 Artist Talk at the Ogres Fotoklubs, Ogre, Latvia
2019 Artist Talk at the Riga Central Library / Armenian Evening of Culture, Riga, Latvia
2019 Artist Talk at the Library of Talsi / Aleksandra Pelēča Literary Prize, Talsi, Latvia
2019 Artist Talk & Showcase at the ISSP Gallery / Riga Photography Biennial NEXT, Riga, Latvia
2018 Artist Talk at the Latvian Museum of Photography, Riga, Latvia
2018 Brighton Photo Fringe and Brighton Photo Biennial Publishers' Market at the Phoenix Brighton, UK
2018 Visiting Lecture at the ISSP School, Riga, Latvia
2018 Unseen Book Market with Blow Up Press, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2018 Artist Talk at the International Summer School of Photography (ISSP), Kuldiga, Latvia
2018 Book launch and signing at the longest village in the country, Kaltene, Latvia
2018 Book launch and signing at the Cosmos-Arles Books, Arles, France
2018 Visiting Talk at the Talsu Fotoklubs, Talsi, Latvia
2017 Visiting Talk at the TJN Annas 2, Riga, Latvia
2017 Visiting Talk at the Royal Academy of Art The Hague (KABK), The Hague, Netherlands
2017 'Homeland' Book Presentation at the PhotoQ Bookshop, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2016 Visiting Talk at the TJN Annas 2, Riga, Latvia
2016 Brighton Photo Fringe and Photoworks / Brighton Photo Biennial Publishers' Market at the Phoenix Brighton, England
2016 After School Club Visiting Talk at the University of Brighton, Brighton, England
2013 Visiting Talk at the TJN Annas 2, Riga, Latvia
2011 Visiting Talk at the TJN Annas 2, Riga, Latvia
Selections.
2022 Plat(t)form 2022 Fotomuseum Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland
2020 The 4th cycle of PARALLEL - European Photo Based Platform, Lisbon, Portugal
2019 The 3rd cycle of PARALLEL - European Photo Based Platform, Lisbon, Portugal
2019 Athens Photo Festival at the Benaki Museum / Pireos 138, Athens, Greece
2019 Finalist of the Poznań Photo Diploma Award 2019, Poznań, Poland
2019 Arterritory, The most inspiring artistic and cultural publications of 2018, Riga, Latvia
2018 The British Journal of Photography, Best of 2018 (Top 5), London, UK
2018 The Calvert Journal, Best of 2018 (Top 8 photobooks), London, UK
2018 Kilogram of Culture (Kilograms kultūras) Award in Visual Art, Riga, Latvia
2018 FK Magazine, Best of 2018, Riga, Latvia
2018 Night of Photo Projections, The Contemporary Art Gallery TSEKH, Vilnius, Lithuania
2017 Source Magazine: A decade of Graduate Photography 2007 - 2017: The Long List
2017 Photon Gallery (Centre for Contemporary Photography) - Different Worlds, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2017 Riga Photomonth - Projection Facts and Clarifications, Riga, Latvia
2016 Slideluck Prato - Mapping: Identity, Social, Territory, Prato, Italy
2016 LensCulture Editors' Picks feature & showcase in the Emerging Talent Awards 2016
2016 Source Photographic Review: Special Guest Selection by Cliff Lauson (Curator, Hayward Gallery London)
2012 Carnival Breeze: CCL brand new photography department, Monfalcone, Italy
2011 Carnival Magic: CCL brand new photography department, Monfalcone, Italy
Solo exhibitions.
2024 *Coming Soon* "Motherland. Far Beyond the Polar Circle" Galeria CENTRALA, Poznań, Poland
2024 *Coming Soon* "Krunk. The Crane that flew over the Fatherland" Sargis Muradyan Gallery, Yerevan, Armenia
2023 "Motherland. Far Beyond the Polar Circle" Latvian Railway History Museum, Riga, Latvia
2022 "Homeland. The Longest Village in the Country" The branch of the Roja Sea Fishing Museum, Kaltene, Latvia
2019 "Krunk. The Crane that flew over the Fatherland" Archdiocesan Museum, International Photography Festival Bialystok INTERPHOTO 2019, Bialystok, Poland
2019 "Homeland. The Longest Village in the Country" Gallery of Museum of Photography, Tallinn Photomonth, Tallinn, Estonia
2018 - 2019 "Homeland. The Longest Village in the Country" Latvian Museum of Photography, Riga, Latvia
2017 "Homeland" Volkshotel, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2017 "Homeland" Roja Gallery, Roja, Latvia
2016 "In The Airport" Museum of Dobele, Dobele, Latvia
2016 "In The Airport" Pastende Culture House, Pastende, Latvia
2016 "In The Airport" Talsi Folk House, Talsi, Latvia
2015 "In The Airport" Materia Gallery, Riga, Latvia
2015 "In The Airport" Cultural Centre of Roja, Roja, Latvia
2015 "In The Airport" RIX - Riga International Airport, Riga, Latvia
2009 Photography, painting and graphic design exhibition at the Cultural Centre of Roja, Latvia
2004 "Listen into the Painting" Valters and Rapa, Riga, Latvia
2002 "Art exhibition" The Cultural Centre of Roja, Roja, Latvia
2002 "Art exhibition" The Centre of Talsi, Talsi, Latvia
Group exhibitions, screenings and projections.
2023 PARALLEL Director 's Cut, Procur.arte, R. Neves Ferreira 8b, Lisbon, Portugal
2022 Plat(t)form 2022 Fotomuseum Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland
2022 Premiere of a documentary movie "Tālā zeme Sibīrija. Dzimuši tur" directed by Dzintra Geka-Vaska, Cinema "K.Suns", Riga, Latvia
2021 Photobook dummy exhibition, Nida Photography Symposium, Nida, Lithuania
2021 Extended Atlas curated by Sandra Vieira Jürgens, PARALLEL Review Lisboa, Mercado De Alvalade Norte, Lisbon, Portugal
2021 Livland at the Museum barn, Mazirbe, Latvia
2021 Broken Secrets curated by Javiera Luisina Cádiz Bedini, Fondazione Modena Arti Visive (FMAV), Modena, Italy
2021 Broken Secrets curated by Javiera Luisina Cádiz Bedini, Emoplux, European Month of Photography, Polandneimënster - Centre Culturel de Rencontre Abbaye de Neumünster, Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
2021 Broken Secrets curated by Javiera Luisina Cádiz Bedini, Parallel Review, Fotofestiwal Łódź, Łódź, Poland
2020 *Canceled due to Covid-19* Broken Secrets curated by Javiera Luisina Cádiz Bedini, Parallel Review, Campo de Santa Clara, Lisbon, Portugal
2020 *Now Open Online* Atstatuvums curated by Katrīna Jaunupe, Foundation Mākslai vajag telpu (MVT), Riga, Latvia
2020 *Now Open Online* Broken Secrets curated by Javiera Luisina Cádiz Bedini, Fondazione Modena Arti Visive (FMAV), Modena, Italy
2020 Under (De)construction curated by Jenny Lindhe, Parallel Intersection Landskrona, Landskrona Foto, Landskrona, Sweden
2020 Livland at the Museum barn, Mazirbe, Latvia
2019 The 3rd cycle of Parallel Showcase exhibition, Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center, Budapest, Hungary
2019 Pop-up photobook exhibition & showcase, Kai Art Center, Art Fair Foto Tallinn, Tallinn Photomonth, Tallinn, Estonia
2019 Selected photobook exhibition, Athens Photo Festival, Benaki Museum / Pireos 138, Athens, Greece
2019 Pop-up photobook exhibition & showcase, Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, Riga Photomonth, Riga, Latvia
2019 Enter / Photobooks from the Baltics, Dom kulture Studentski grad, Belgrade Photo Month, Belgrade, Serbia
2019 Poznań Photo Diploma Award, Arsenał Municipal Gallery, Poznań, Poland
2019 International Book and Publishers Exhibition, Latvian Book Fair 2019 Ķīpsala, Riga, Latvia
2018 "Different Worlds" Slovenian Embassy, European Month of Photography, Bratislava, Slovakia
2018 The 10th Book Award 2017-2018 (CEE), House of Arts (Dom Umenia), Festival Month of Photography, Bratislava, Slovakia
2018 Night of Photo Projections, The Contemporary Art Gallery TSEKH, Vilnius, Lithuania
2018 5th edition of Photobook Week Aarhus, Aarhus School of Architecture, Aarhus, Denmark
2018 "Photobook as Object" ISSP Gallery, Riga, Latvia
2018 ISSP "Infinite Sauvage" Art House, Kuldiga, Latvia
2018 Photoworks "Collaborate" Free Range, Truman Brewery, London, UK
2018 "Different Worlds" Photon Gallery Vienna, Vienna, Austria
2017 "Different Worlds" Photon - Centre for Contemporary Photography, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2017 "Sharing Stories" Unseen / Docking Station, Vondelpark, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2017 "Magnum Photos Graduate Photographers Award" Photo London, Somerset House, London, UK
2017 "Exhibition and showcase" Self Publish Riga, Riga, Latvia
2017 Projection "Facts and Clarifications" Riga Photomonth, Riga, Latvia
2017 Screening "2016 Days of Awesome Photo Books" LhGWR Gallery, The Hague, Netherlands
2017 "Mapping - a Collective View on Identity / Society / Territory" Lato Gallery, Prato, Italy
2016 Screening / exhibition "Mapping: Identity, Social, Territory" Slideluck Prato, Italy
2016 "Beyond the Camera" Pingyao International Photography Festival, Shanxi province, China
2016 "Counter-Memory" Grand Parade Gallery, Brighton, England
2016 "Time" University of Brighton, Brighton, England
2015 "ISSP exhibition" Art House, Kuldiga, Latvia
2015 Art exhibition at the Library of Kaltene, Latvia
Work in public and private collections.
Fondazione Modena Arti Visive (FMAV), Modena, Italy
Kaunas Photography Gallery, Kaunas, Lithuania
Roja Sea Fishing Museum, Kaltene, Latvia
Publications.
2023 Aiz polārā loka - vizuāls un pētniecisks ceļojums laika (LV) / Talsu Vēstis, Friday, April 21
2023 Georgs Avetisjans izveidojis fotogrāmatu par Sibīriju (LV) / IR, March 30 - April 5
2020 Landskrona Foto Festival / The Architecture of Memory
2020 Parallel Review Lisboa / Photography exhibition (EN/PT) / Winter / Catalogue
2020 Fotogrāfija ir ceļš pie stāstiem (LV) / Talsu Vēstis, Tuesday, November 24, No. 91 (11530)
2020 Fotogrāfija ir ceļš pie stāstiem (LV) / Kas kultūrā Kurzemē?, Tuesday, November 24, No. 11
2020 Atstatuvums virtuālajā vidē un Ziemeļkurzemes krastā (LV) / Diena KDi, Tuesday, November 10, No. 217 (8463)
2020 Parallel Atlas (EN)
2020 Broken Secrets (EN / IT) / Fondazione Modena Arti Visive, 72 pp.
2020 Igarka News Newspaper (RU) / Winter Issue No 4 (12735)
2019 Nordic and Baltic Life / Max Ström, Sweden / Published in cooperation with the Expressions of Humankind Foundation / Photobook
2019 4th International Photography Festival / Bialystok Interphoto (PL) / From Past to Present. Limits of Time / September - November / Catalogue
2019 Tallinn Photomonth (Fotokuu) / Contemporary Art Biennial (EE) / Autumn / Catalogue
2018 The Cultural Magazine (ESP) / Winter / Issue 31
2017 Photon Gallery (SLO) / Different World 2017 (Drugačni Svetovi 2017) / Autumn / Catalogue
2016 Talsu Vēstis Newspaper (LV) / Winter Issue
2016 Source Magazine (UK) / Autumn / Issue 87
Online
2024 The Eye of Photography
2024 Loei'l De La Photographie
2024 Yogurt Magazine
2023 PhMuseum
2023 FK Magazine (LV)
2023 LR1 Kultūras rondo (LV)
2023 RUS.LSM.LV (RU)
2023 TV 3 / 900 sekundes
2023 FK Magazine (EN)
2023 FK Magazine (LV)
2023 Delfi Kultūra (LV)
2023 Float Magazine
2023 IR (LV)
2023 TVNET Kultūra (LV)
2023 Fold (EN)
2023 Fold (LV)
2023 Rīta Panorāma (LV)
2023 Arterritory (LV)
2023 Diena (LV)
2023 FK Magazine
2023 Delfi (LV)
2022 LTV1 ("Tālā zeme Sibīrija. Dzimuši tur" / Documentary movie)
2021 LNB / Grāmata Latvijā
2021 Artslife
2021 Chronicle
2021 Latvijas Radio LR1 (Monopols)
2021 FK magazine
2021 PHROOM Magazine
2020 Mākslai vajag telpu / Atstatuvums
2020 osTraum
2020 Kurzemnieks
2020 Diena (KDi)
2020 FK Magazine Review
2020 LTV.LV (Atstatuvums)
2020 Atstatuvums (MVT)
2020 Broken Secrets (Parallel)
2020 Radio Baltkom I Mixnews
2020 LTV.LV (Livland 2020)
2020 Rus.lsm.lv
2019 Punctum
2019 Latvijas Radio LR3
2019 Wielkopolska Kultura u Podstaw
2019 Szum
2019 AZG Armenian weekly
2019 The Armenian Mirror-Spectator
2019 TVNET
2019 Arterritory / Best of 2018
2018 British Journal of Photography / Best of 2018
2018 The Calvert Journal / Best of 2018
2018 FK Magazine / Best of 2018
2018 YET magazine
2018 Latvijas Radio LR1
2018 Radio SWH
2018 Latvijas Radio LR1
2018 AZG Armenian weekly
2018 FK Magazine
2018 LTV.LV
2018 ISSP catalogue
2018 Photograd Spotlight
2018 FK Magazine
2018 FK Magazine
2018 Photograd
2018 The Cultural Magazine
2018 The Lovepost
2017 Photoworks
2017 Photograd
2017 Thisispaper Magazine
2017 FotoRoom
2017 Photographic Museum of Humanity
2017 Huck Magazine
2017 British Journal of Photography
2017 I-D Vice
2017 Magnum Photos
2017 Volkshotel
2017 Docking Station
2017 The Pupil Sphere
2016 FK Magazine: The Best East European Photobook in 2016
2016 FK Magazine
2016 Source: Special Guest Selection
2016 MA Photography catalogue
2016 The Miniclick Photo Talks
2016 Source Photographic Review
2016 ISSP catalogue
2015 YET magazine
2015 LensCulture
