pattern 969
Acrylic, Spray Paint on Canvas
55x39in
Latvia
« I focus on images and motifs that are fundamental, archetypal, and universal in human experience, as opposed to those that are socially determined. »
Ilgvars Zalāns is a Latvian visual artist working primarily with abstract painting and mixed media. His practice investigates borders as conditions of tension, control, and transformation rather than fixed geographical lines. Using repetitive structures, grid formations, and deliberate material disruptions, he reflects on how systems of order reveal their fragility over time.
Zalāns’ works combine vivid, often contrasting color fields with graphic elements and traces of erosion, allowing the painting to function as both an image and a physical record. His recent projects focus on border zones as spaces where political, social, and perceptual boundaries intersect, positioning abstraction as a critical tool for examining contemporary instability.