1.left to right: Dagnija Greste, Dr Vaira Vike-Freiberg,   2.assembled artists at ALMA Book Launch, Customs House, Sydney
Imants Tillers, Isodore Tillers, Peteris Ciemitis
(photograph courtesy Vija Spogis-Erdmanis)

December 27, 2008

A comprehensive 256 page book surveying Latvian artists in Australia, was launched on December 27, 2008 by the former President of Latvia, Dr Vaira Vike-Freiberg, at Customs House, Sydney, Australia.

‘This is a comprehensive collection of works by Latvian artists in Australia.  It lists 103 artists who are either post-war immigrants or descendants of immigrants and includeds biographies and first-person statements.

The text is in English and Latvian and has essays on Latvian culture in Australia.  The artists’ statements and the stories of cultural resettlement alongside the images add an illuminating dimension.

The most well-known artist here is Imants Tillers but works by Uldis Abolins, Peteris Ciemitis, Lidija Dombrovska-Larsen and Peter Dombrovskis also impress.’ Marc McEvoy, Brisbane Times, January 20, 2009.

The book launch was accompanied by an invited exhibition of work (“AL52KD”) by many of the artists surveyed in the publication.  The exhibition, curated by Andra Krumins, featured work by Peteris Ciemitis, Harijs Piekalns, Janis Nedala and Imants Tillers.