A key figure in Latvian modern art, Auseklis Baušķenieks blended everyday scenes with fantastical visions using his signature pastel palette and pointillist style. His paintings often featured otherworldly characters—robots, giants, and extraterrestrials—demonstrating both his boundless imagination and his fascination with science, technology, and futurism. His specific interest in radio engineering manifested in various kinetic objects and installations. His works frequently contain commentary on the Soviet era, subtly highlighting the regime’s absurdities with humour and irony. As a result, in the early 1980s, the painter fell into disfavour and was denied any form of publicity. A keen observer of the human condition, Baušķenieks was deeply introspective, encouraging viewers to find familiarity within his depicted characters. In his painting Emotions, a silent pause between the pictured couple as well as the stillness of their room can be acutely felt.

Works in the exhibition:
Emotions (1984), oil on canvas, 70 × 72.5 cm
Sunshine in the Kindergarten (1998), oil on canvas, 85 × 91 cm
War Games (1993), oil on canvas, 60 × 80 cm
The Young One (1982), oil on cardboard, 99.5 × 69.5 cm
Courtesy of Zuzāns Collection