Latvian student wins Nordic&Baltic Young Artist Award

RIGA - Katrina Levane, a student of the Art Academy of Latvia Master's program in painting, has been awarded this year's Nordic and Baltic Young Artist Grand Prix, LETA was told at the academy.

For the first time in the history of the competition, the main prize was awarded to two artists, including Swedish visual artist Adam Gidlund, for their creative approach that pushes the boundaries of contemporary art through cross-media experimentation and conceptual strategies.

Levane's award-winning work "Forest Floor" reflects on mortality through Latvian folklore and the symbolism of nature's cycles. The artist creates a calm, thought-provoking environment in which death is depicted as a natural and delicate part of life. Elements of sound and scent invite the viewer to experience nature both up close and at a symbolic distance.

The Nordic&Baltic Young Artist Award is an international competition that brings together recent art graduates from leading Nordic and Baltic academies. This year, 154 young artists from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, and Sweden competed for various prizes of the competition. The works were judged by an international jury.

This is the tenth time the prize has been awarded.