Birds have always been a source of inspiration to painters and creative minds such as poets, composers and writers alike. However, the visual splendor, flight dynamics and the symbolic meaning attached to birds, for example, as the mediators between heaven and earth, is perhaps best reflected in painting.

These paintings exhibit different conceptual and compositional approaches to birds, for example in the painting “Emperor’s Army” by Maija Tabaka the image of a peacock indicates the location, in this case China. The painting “Daugaviņa” by Aija Zariņa with its ambiguous bird figures reveal the geographical nature – the river and it’s proximity to the sea. “The Window of the Studio” by Alberts F. Pauliņš with it’s tiny chick knocking it’s beak against the pane is a sweet reminder of the tranquil flow of everyday life, interrupted only by a silent noise, however, loud enough to remind a a lonely inhabitant of the house of a different life outside, while in the painting “Evening” by Rudīte Dreimane birds are a romantically philosophical depiction of people: solitude, dialog, closeness and difference, and an attempt to bring the two closer.

During the exhibition, authors of the works displayed will paint images of birds, which will then be displayed alongside the existing works. It is not expected of the painters to create ornithologically accurate depictions – instead, they should illustrate both the artist’s mental attitude by using images of birds and also explain the philosophical meaning behind the use of these images.

Exhibited are works from both the collection of Daugava Gallery and paintings created particularly for this exhibition.