Until March 2nd 2024, an exhibition of book illustrations and postage stamp images by the Latvian artist Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja is on display in the hall and staircase gallery of the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre. The exhibition, titled “Picture Story,” provides a glimpse into the diverse artistic talents of the Latvian artist and is not only of interest to enthusiasts of illustration art but also appeals to designers and stamp collectors.
Due to the limited space in the gallery, it is not possible to exhibit the entire retrospective of the artist’s jubilee, which was previously displayed in Latvia. However, according to the curator of the exhibition, Viive Noor, it still offers an overview of her artistic achievements. “The artist’s book illustrations are captivating and detailed, and the material depicted on the stamps is artistically valuable in its precision and correctness. In addition, we gain insight into the artist’s diverse interests and activities, discovering her tireless experimentation in her creations,” added Noor.
Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja (born in 1963) paints and draws, designs books, postage stamps, and coins, and creates book illustrations for both children and adults. She graduated from the Riga Technical School of Applied Arts with a specialization in clothing modeling (1982), the Latvian Academy of Arts with a degree in graphics (1988), and obtained a master’s degree in humanities (2003).
In her childhood, she dreamed of creating postage stamps. Over the course of thirty years, she has produced approximately 100 Latvian cultural and nature-themed postage stamps that are informative and rich in detail. Arta possesses the ability to develop intricate details and create vivid messages — miniature stories about Latvia and its people’s values and ideals.
Since 1986, Arta has participated in over 100 international and local graphic, book illustration, and design exhibitions. She has been a member of the Latvian Artists’ Union since 1993. Arta has gained international recognition as a book illustrator and has won various international and local awards.
Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja’s beautiful illustrations and postage stamp images can be seen at her solo exhibition “Picture Story” at the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre’s hall and staircase gallery until March 2, 2024.
Illustration by Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja
