Dāvis Ozols is a Latvian painter of the new generation, a graduate of the Master's program in Painting at the Art Academy of Latvia. In his artistic practice, he explores the airbrush technique—this democratic and ambivalent tool, which in art history has often been associated with so-called "bad art." In his most ambitious solo exhibition to date, Ozols deliberately reflects on the aesthetics of kitsch and the visual language of lowbrow art, challenging the boundaries between "high" and "low" art. His works captivate with masterful use of light and shadow, where romantic landscapes merge with sensually exaggerated contours of the human body. This interplay creates a tension between the idealized and the grotesque, between the seductive and the alienating—existing in a space where the boundaries between beauty and cliché become blurred. 

Just like the German Romantic master Caspar David Friedrich revealed the grandeur and mystery of nature in his landscapes, Dāvis Ozols—living by the banks of the Daugava in Ikšķile, a place long favored by Latvian artists for plein air painting—approaches the landscape not merely as a visual motif but as a space for deeper exploration. In his works, the landscape becomes a field of thought, where questions arise about the relationship between humans and nature, as well as the presence of bodily experience within this interaction. 

A closer look at Ozols’ paintings reveals a delicate interplay of forms—landscapes merge with corporeal contours, which, in turn, subtly transform into the silhouettes of everyday objects before dissolving back into their surroundings. This metamorphosis of things creates a continuous transition between figure and space. The nostalgic tonal shifts imbue the works with a dreamlike atmosphere, where figures emerge as symbols of exalted beauty. Their presence hints at the pictorial language of Maija Tabaka’s paintings, as well as the elegant, surreal silhouettes of Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka. 

Text: Elīna Drāke 

Dāvis Ozols graduated from the Janis Rozentāls Art High School and obtained a master’s degree in painting from the Art Academy of Latvia in 2022. During his studies, he expanded his knowledge through the ERASMUS exchange program in Leipzig, Germany, and Ljubljana, Slovenia. Recent solo exhibitions include: "Laiks Bija Laiks Izbija", 427 Gallery, Riga (with Vincenzo Ferlita); "Reibums", Ag Gallery, Riga / "Ebriety", Ag Gallery, Riga; "Smiltīs", Look Gallery, Riga / "In the Sand", Look Gallery, Riga; "Zālē", Savvaļa, Drusti / "In the Grass", Savvaļa, Drusti. Recent group exhibitions include: Andris Eglītis – "Exhibition. Some Cases of the Meeting of Imagination and Matter", SAVVAĻA, LNMM; “TIPS&TRICKS. Survival Advice”, Look Gallery, Riga; “427 Collection”, 427 Gallery, Riga (2024); "Unparalleled Surrealities", ASNI, Riga, among others.

Supported by: State Culture Capital Foundation