Margrieta Griestiņa

Margrieta Griestiņa (1991) is an artist and the director of the gallery “Visuma centrs 2” in Madona. She works both in interdisciplinary artist collectives (GolfClayderman, Shady Ladies) and individually - in painting as well as in creating objects. In 2025, her solo exhibition “Veikals SPAZ” took place in Madona.

About the concept of the exhibition: “Veikals SPAZ” is a fashion and household goods brand store by GolfClayderman, conceived as a spaza shop - a small, informal neighborhood store typical of South Africa -staffed by a hibernating fox and a bohemian bear. The first branch of the store was located in Africa, but after the contract with the beverage supplier “Monster” was terminated, the store had to be relocated to Madona, where the brand’s subsidiary, MABOCA gallery "Visuma Centrs 2", is also based.

The artist brings to life a parallel reality that is closely connected to everyday life and inspired by markers from childhood and early youth, where memories merge with imagination. The aesthetics of this world combine influences from the millennium era, street art, video games, various subcultures, sports, everyday urban environments, and global sociopolitical developments.

Without avoiding clichés, Griestiņa engages with trends from different periods (popular music, politics, memes, yo-yo, energy drinks, etc.), revealing an unusual vision that is unique within the Latvian contemporary art scene. For example, the painting “All My Exes Live in Texas” includes a reference to the late-1990s popular animated character “Crazy Frog.”

Drawing on experiences from the recent past, the artist creates contemporarily surreal narratives without irony, reviving a sense of nostalgia while, through subtly witty humor, inviting viewers to look with empathy at various human passions, affects, temptations, and the diversity of relationships. For instance, the painting “Veiksminieks” tells the story of a beaver who has found bank card of famous basketball player Kristaps Porzingis, while the narrative of “90-minute landing sessions” unfolds in Griestiņa’s gallery in Madona.

Bambucha Bambata. 2024.

Lucky One. 2024.

Exterior of “Sheila’s SPAZA shop”. Branch No. 1. 2024.

All My Exes Live in Texas. 2022.

90-Minute Landing Session. 2025.