Zīle Ziemele
Zīle Ziemele (1993) is a Latvian painter who has participated in exhibitions since 2011 and has held several solo exhibitions. The artist graduated from Janis Rozentāls Art High School and received a Bachelor’s degree in Painting from the Art Academy of Latvia in 2017. She further expanded her knowledge at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp through the ERASMUS+ exchange programme. Currently, the artist teaches graphics and drawing at Janis Rozentāls Art High School.
Zīle Ziemele’s works have been exhibited in significant contemporary art events, including the exhibition Tension. Young Latvian Painting, the Jeune Creation Europeenne biennale in Paris, and the Survival Kit 10 exhibition Outlands at the Riga Circus venue. In 2022, in collaboration with Mākslai vajag telpu, the artist created the mural Together on the facade of the Talsi Music School.
A distinctive feature of the artist’s practice is her use of egg tempera on plywood – a technique relatively rarely employed in Latvia. Her works combine contemporary subject matter with subtle symbolism and a deep reverence for the depicted environment and figures. The artist explores the psychological and social atmosphere of the present day, revealing anxiety, silence, and alienation through everyday motifs.
The painting Broadcast (2023) depicts news anchor Sandra Zviedre against the panorama of Riga and the Daugava River during the Covid-19 period. The work combines a calm visual language with an unsettling message, emphasising the simultaneously soothing and anxious nature of media and everyday routine.
The work Longing (2018) portrays an interior scene that alludes to the former café of Riga Central Station. At the centre of the composition stands a young woman seen from behind at a counter with a cup and a curd pastry, while deeper in the space several figures and symbolic elements create a melancholic and dreamlike atmosphere.
In the painting Thorn (2017), a dark organic form with a sharp tip dominates the composition diagonally against a pale, cloud-like background. The work creates tension between fragility and the presence of threat, revealing the artist’s interest in symbolic imagery.
Meanwhile, A Moment of Respite (2022) features a pink racket placed beside a low game net. The minimalist composition and quiet mood evoke a sense of pause and calm, transforming an everyday object into a symbolic image.
All works are executed in egg tempera on plywood and reflect the artist’s delicate and nuanced approach to painting.
Thorn. 2017.
Longing. 2018.
A Moment of Respite. 2022.
Broadcast. 2023.
