Catching the Wave: Exploring the 4th Latvia Ceramics Biennale

Elīna Titāne and Una Gura: 3+4

The exhibition “3+4” by Elīna Titāne and Una Gura in the 4METRES Gallery is a combination of the creative performance of two unique artists. This arithmetic is a reference not only to the number of works placed in the gallery, but also to the 3rd Latvian Biennale of Ceramics, where female artists won 2nd and 3rd place for groups of works of 3 and 2 works, respectively.

Elīna Titāne studied ceramics at the North Rīga School of Arts and Crafts, Rīga Secondary School of Design and Art and the Art Academy of Latvia (1996–2008). Her instantly recognisable creative style has developed over the past decade and a half. She makes abstract objects whose image, structure and sculptural properties resemble natural shapes, yet they do not reference anything specific, only the general and ubiquitous. Aesthetic qualities of the works and their creator’s professionalism combine to keep the objects on a course of incremental development. To date, Titāne’s creative record extends to 20 solo shows, multiple ceramic symposiums and residencies in Latvia and beyond.

Una Gura was born in Daugavpils. As a child, the artist-to-be was drawn to ceramics in the mid-1980s when she attended ceramic workshops at the Latgale Studio of Applied Arts. This is where she decided to become a ceramicist. In 1992, Gura graduated from the Rēzekne Secondary School of Applied Arts, where she had studied in the Ceramics Department, before pursuing higher education at the Latgale Branch of the Art Academy of Latvia (1994–1998). In 2008, Gura graduated from Daugavpils University with a double master’s degree in art and education science. At that point, her creative pursuits veered towards painting. A return to ceramics followed in 2010 when she joined the Daugavpils Clay Art Centre. The artist has maintained a vibrant creative record since 1998 through plein airs, exhibitions and other creative events in Latvia and beyond.