Biography
Kalvis Zalitis was born on April 1st, 1976. From 1987 to 1994 he studied in Janis Rozentals Art High School in Riga, where he learned the basics of painting, composition and drawing. In 1998 he graduated from the Scenography Department of the Art Academy of Latvia. Zalitis is a painter by nature, but the scenography was a choice to expand his professional point of view and expand his skills in creating art.
Kalvis Zalitis is a member of the Latvian Union of Artists. He has been participating in exhibitions since 1995, involving art events in Latvia and abroad. He had participated in exhibitions and projects in Latvia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Russia, Belarus, the United Arab Emirates and other countries.
Artistic description
The painting form of Kalvis Zalitis is characterized by the dramatic contrast of the light and shadow juxtaposition, which greatly emphasizes and demonstrates the gesture and facial expressions of the majestic characters, and also achieves volume, creating an illusion about the existence of three-dimensional objects. The contrasting light illuminates the relief of the body and objects, reveling its shape and its twisting movement in sensual richness.
Archetypal personages and objects are a set of rich symbols and characters that refer to the allegories of European myths and the roots of religious motifs. In his paintings, Zalitis delves into the materiality of objects, highlights reflections and detailed ornaments, while the rest “plunges” into the shadows and blends with the endless and ambient dark background - the artist's painting differentia, which symbolizes nothingness as the origin of everything.
Interesting facts
In 1999, Kalvis Zalitis’ work was appreciated by a Latvian businessman and he bought 6 paintings at once and commissioned his portrait – that is a great gain and luck for a young artist like Zalitis was.
Zalitis studied the art of aerography for painting cars. It helped to develop and complement the artist's technique and skills and served as an additional source of income.
In 2001, the artist settled for a whole month in Rome's suburban Fraskati, an ancient Catholic monastery owned by Capuchin order, in order to be side by side with the collections of great Renaissance artworks, to draw inspiration from Roman architecture and Vatican museums.
