Latvian artist and designer Kristaps Priede (1990) has been painting since 2002. Currently a postgraduate student at the Art Academy of Latvia this exhibition, his first international solo exhibition, concludes his exchange studies at Falmouth University.
The Element of Truth commemorates the hundredth anniversary of ‘Black Square’ by Kazimir Malevich. Building on Malevich’s concept of the single truth, Priede’s work introduces this concept to modern audiences. One hundred years after the First World War, we now face the Third World War, the ‘information war’ , a war of propaganda and disinformation. Priede’s paintings are his response, his private altar, created to gain clarity and peace. Black symbols offer protection, black repel negativity, symbolizes strength, self-confidence, truth and existentialism where it focuses on issues such as the meaning of human existence, their relationship with life and death, freedom of will and determinism. Priede paints simple, understandable things from nature, such as water, snow, clouds and other things – which includes all four elements and their intermediate stages. In his works the depth of nature gives peace and power for the mind and helps the viewer not to give up, to gain strength and learning from nature. His art is like a gateway to the holy, the true and sacred.
