Dita Lūse
Dita Lūse is an award-winning Latvian artist renowned for her evocative oil paintings, which have been exhibited internationally. A graduate of the Art Academy of Latvia and the University of Wisconsin, Lūse has built a prolific career, with over 30 solo exhibitions and participation in numerous group shows worldwide.
She is known for her distinctive technique in oil painting, which mimics the delicate quality of watercolor through thin washes applied in multiple layers. Her art spans a range of subjects, with a central focus on the relationship between light and time. Lūse often captures spaces imbued with memory, emphasizing the depth and atmosphere created by light.
Her compositions blend elements of realism, impressionism, and conceptual art, exploring themes such as the play of light and shadow in interiors, the mysterious qualities of X-ray imagery, and the multi-layered nature of memory in her recent works. These nuanced themes make her paintings both visually captivating and conceptually rich, inviting viewers to contemplate the passage of time and the transient beauty of light.
Discover contemporary artworks by Dita Lūse, browse recent artworks and buy online. Categories: contemporary latvian artists. Artistic domains: Painting. Account type: Artist , member since 2008 (Country of origin Latvia). Buy Dita Lūse's latest works on ArtMajeur: Discover great art by contemporary artist Dita Lūse. Browse artworks, buy original art or high end prints.
Artist Value, Biography, Artist's studio:
Amalgams of Time • 41 artworks
View allLike the olfactory memory that lets one perceive the smells based on the memories of things experienced and sensed in the past, the visible image sometimes gives a similar impulse – while you look at some visual evidence you are carried away in your thoughts to some different place and time, and you may see a whole different scene or event in your mind and become lost in the labyrinths of thought.
Writing and receiving letters is a form of relationship that is almost entirely lost nowadays, yet it is a long-lasting testimony to relationships, something that contemporary relations can not substantiate in a tangible form. The letters are also an evidence of the time one person devotes to another. It is something we do not do nowadays, we allocate much less time to the other person. Our day-to-day communication is short, fractured, careless, time-saving, which can become a hindrance to the well-being and enjoyment of our relationship.
The central image of the series is the relationships, the evidence that they have left and that still influence the descendants. Perhaps it is essential and beautiful to stop at times and look at the love of two young people, the winding path of life through the evidence they have left – letters, with signs of foxing, photos, that still have an impact on us and show us who we are are and where we come from.
A Moment of Light • 67 artworks
View allChandeliers • 11 artworks
View allLacework and Patterns • 41 artworks
View allFacades, Balconies, Windows • 57 artworks
View allBicycles • 23 artworks
View allSpaces • 57 artworks
View allFloor patterns 2010 - now • 45 artworks
View allFlorals • 38 artworks
View allPeople • 8 artworks
View allSold Artworks • 170 artworks
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Biography
Dita Lūse is an award-winning Latvian artist renowned for her evocative oil paintings, which have been exhibited internationally. A graduate of the Art Academy of Latvia and the University of Wisconsin, Lūse has built a prolific career, with over 30 solo exhibitions and participation in numerous group shows worldwide.
She is known for her distinctive technique in oil painting, which mimics the delicate quality of watercolor through thin washes applied in multiple layers. Her art spans a range of subjects, with a central focus on the relationship between light and time. Lūse often captures spaces imbued with memory, emphasizing the depth and atmosphere created by light.
Her compositions blend elements of realism, impressionism, and conceptual art, exploring themes such as the play of light and shadow in interiors, the mysterious qualities of X-ray imagery, and the multi-layered nature of memory in her recent works. These nuanced themes make her paintings both visually captivating and conceptually rich, inviting viewers to contemplate the passage of time and the transient beauty of light.
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Nationality:
LATVIA
- Date of birth : 1972
- Artistic domains: Works by professional artists,
- Groups: Professional Artist Contemporary Latvian Artists

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DITA LŪSE: INSPIRATION IS OVERRATED. Interview in Artmajeur Magazine
ART HISTORYDITA LŪSE: INSPIRATION IS OVERRATEDOlimpia Gaia Martinelli | Mar 11, 2025 7 minutes read 0 comments
I was born into a family of artists, therefore the interest came naturally as a part of our lifestyle, and drawing and painting was a childhood habit. My professional art education started at the age of 11, when I began studies in an art school, and afterwards continued in the Art Academy of Latvia...
What inspired you to create art and become an artist? (events, feelings, experiences...)
I was born into a family of artists, therefore the interest came naturally as a part of our lifestyle, and drawing and painting was a childhood habit. My professional art education started at the age of 11, when I began studies in an art school, and afterwards continued in the Art Academy of Latvia.
What is your artistic background, the techniques and subjects you have experimented with so far?
Having studied in an art school, an art academy, and in arts department of a university, I have tried various painting and drawing techniques. However, after all, I love working with oil on canvas and I find it suits my ideas the best.
What are the 3 aspects that differentiate you from other artists, making your work unique?
People who follow my work recognize my artworks in group exhibitions, so there must be something that diferentiates me, but that has not been a particular goal for me. But perhaps it could be the combination of attention to detail, at the same time sketch-like approach and transparent layers of paint in my works, and also the very limited range of colours I use in paintings.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Inspiration is overrated in my opinion. I just get up every morning and go to my studio, where I work on sketches, paint, or do some mundane work like stretching or priming the canvases. I usually plan my work beforehand, so I set to work and often continue as long as there is daylight.
What is your artistic approach? What visions, sensations or feelings do you want to evoke in the viewer?
It depends on the theme. There are works in which I explore the shimmer of lights, windows, facades, architectural spaces, and these works I intend to be like a refuge, full of balance and tranquility, where time slows down for the viewer of my work. I use overlays of light, memories and space, and the meditative aspects of patterns to capture the viewer, to make them lose themselves and forget about time.
X-ray paintings, on the other hand, reveal our inner physical or bodily core, which cannot be seen either in a photo or a mirror, which is a very personal, even intimate theme, but at the same time shows the natural physical structure on which our inherited values are layered, making us so different and beautiful. I hope they evoke the sensations of our fragility and the presence of time in our lives.
And then I have Amalgams of time series, that are about the bond with previous generations, and about the way our parents' and grandparents' memories influence our perception of reality and the decisions we make today. I focus onto the hinges of history in the 20th century, on our inherited memories, portrayed through paintings of old photos and letters. An indirectly present image in my works is the war, which, just like now, changed lives, tore families apart and affected those involved as well the future generations. In the solo-shows that I have had with this series, people approached me with their own family stories, and I realized it was exactly what I had wanted to achieve – to provoke people's own sense of bond with their forebears.
What is the process of creating your works? Spontaneous or with a long preparatory process (technical, inspiration from art classics or other)?
I am a keen collector of impressions and photos and when I start planning a painting I pick the ones from my archive that stir my emotions and help to convey the idea. Then I work on sketches both by hand and on computer. I often plan a whole series, making a set of sketches, and thinking of the atmosphere and feeling that the works should convey. I plan the painting process carefully before starting it – I work in very thin layers, washes and glazes and can't afford any mistakes. If they happen, I have to start from the scratch.
Do you use a particular work technique? if so, can you explain it?
I use classical oil technique, just less impasto and more of washes and glazes. First comes underpainting, then drawing with a brush, then painting itself, glazing, finally varnishing, if necessary. I am quite picky about brushes, since I do a lot of fine details.
Are there any innovative aspects in your work? Can you tell us which ones?
I had some unpleasant experience in my early years, when experiments led to cracle or yellowing some years after completing those works, and this has convinced me that classical technique is the most reliable. I also indulge in being part of many generations of painters that have worked in oil on canvas.
Do you have a format or medium that you are most comfortable with? if yes, why ?
My medium is oil on canvas, and my formats range between 20 cm and 3 metres, everything depends on the idea and which size suits it most.
Where do you produce your works? At home, in a shared workshop or in your own workshop? And in this space, how do you organize your creative work?
I am fortunate to have my own workshop next to the house, which in turn is near to the sea. The light comes from above, and the walls are white, which lets me focus on my work. I love being there, as the place itself urges to think and to work.
Does your work lead you to travel to meet new collectors, for fairs or exhibitions? If so, what does it bring you?
I have travelled quite a lot due to my work, both for my exhibitions and also to see other artists' shows. However, even more important for me is to gather photos for further work during the trips, so it works both ways – showing what I have done and getting new impressions.
How do you imagine the evolution of your work and your career as an artist in the future?
Themes that inspire me evolve and change over the years, and I am observing my own work with interest,contemplating what will be the next step and which of my ideas will last to develop into something new.
What is the theme, style or technique of your latest artistic production?
One of the latest works is a painting of a chandelier. It was painted in oil on canvas, in a subdued, laconic palette. I wanted to show the intricate chandelier on the background of a richly patterned wallpaper. The brilliant white crystal pendants of chandelier catch and reflect light, but on the right side the chandelier is in deep shadow, leading to some confusion of the origins of light and the ways it can be perceived.
Can you tell us about your most important exhibition experience?
It was thrilling to have been selected by NordArt not only once but twice, and a new experience was last year, when my work was selected and exhibited by Arte Laguna in Venice Arsenal. I have had some large solo exhibitions that I'm proud of, and they were important because they gave me a possibility to evaluate my own work in a certain period and understand in which direction to move on from there.
If you could have created a famous work in the history of art, which one would you choose? And why ?
I suppose every artist feels that envy once in a while, looking at another artist's work and wishing to have done it themselves... Maybe some cave art? That would have been really fascinating, not to mention visiting the era at least for a while!
If you could invite one famous artist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be? How would you suggest he spend the evening?
I would love to invite Marlene Dumas. It would be a wonderful warm summer evening, we would sit on the terrace, drink wine and talk about art. I would be a bit scared of her sharp tongue, but I would also love to hear her wisdom and learn from her.
6:34 min
Three artists of different generations about art ReTV (Latvia)
Art Vilnius 2019
Movement (2018), oil on canvas, 90x110 cm
Solo exhibition "Gentle illuminations" in Liepāja Museum, Latvia 10 May - 2 June, 2019
Clouds and candles (2017), oil on canvas 89x116 cm
Art Vilnius 2018
Laisves av. 5, Vilnius, Lithuania
ArtVilnius is the only contemporary art fair in Lithuania and the largest art fair in the Eastern Europe region. ArtVilnius, which had its start in 2009, was one of the most important events in the Vilnius – European Capital of Culture project. Over the last eight years the art fair has expanded and become firmly established on the local and international art scene, as well as on the list of must-visit events for art lovers.
This is also confirmed by the statistics. Every year ArtVilnius has over 20,000 visitors, with about 60 art galleries from a dozen or so countries participating ((Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, the Netherlands, Russia, Italy, and France). The applications of galleries wishing to participate in the art fair are reviewed and selected by a jury made up of art critics and art market experts, thereby ensuring the professionalism of the galleries at the fair.
Solo exhibition " The Code of a Moment ", galley Laipa, Valmiera, Latvia
Stacijas iela 37, Valmiera, Latvia
Solo exhibition "The Code of a Moment", showing paintings from recent years
Huntenkunst 2018, International art fair
DRU-laan 2, 7071 MB Ulft, Netherlands.
Huntenkunst is an annual international visual arts event. At the event you will find artists' work from over 30 countries. Usually it takes place at the weekend before Ascension Day. In 2018 Huntenkunst will be on May 25th, 26th, and 27th.
Montreux Art Gallery contemporary art fair, Switzerland
Montreux Music & Convention Centre Avenue Claude Nobs 5 CH -1820 Montreux
Montreux Art Gallery contemporary art fair, Switzerland
Anathomy of Light
Art gallery Museum LV; 2 A.Pumpura str., Riga
Solo exhibition in art gallery Museum LV
" The opening No 1 " group exhibition in gallery " Museum LV " Riga, Latvia
2, A.Pumpura str. Riga
The inaugural exhibition of MuseumLV, a new gallery and culture centre in Riga. The title - Opening No 1 stands for the very first exhibition in the gallery.
" Rendezvous in the World of Art " group exhibit of Euro-American artists in X-Power gallery Taipei, Taiwan
X-Power Gallery 寶勝畫廊・影響力藝術中心 台北市敦化北路207號B1 Tel ﹕+886-2-7707-8299
X-Power Gallery
寶勝畫廊・影響力藝術中心
台北市敦化北路207號B1
Tel ﹕+886-2-7707-8299
藝術家:
Peter H. Harskamp
Alfonso Cuñado
Dita Luse
Maria Kniazeva
Yacov Gabay
Carlo Alberto Palumbo
Christopher August Tamalar
Igor Grechanyk
Lluis Ribas
Carmen Cañadas
Olga Larionova
Kurma Venkata Siva Prasad
Zofia Palucha
Loes van Delft
Kathrin Longhurst
2nd International Open Art Competition ART OLYMPIA 2017 exhibition in Tokyo, Japan
Toshima Ecomusee Town, Toshima City Office 1F (2-45-1Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima-Ku, Tokyo)
Art Olympia is an international public art exhibition whose aim is to uncover talented artists around the world and support their activities.
Art Olympia 2015, were 4,186 artworks entered from 52 countries.
Art Olympia 2017 also is accepting artwork entries from around the world which will be judged by international art experts.
Finalist at Artist Grand Prize Competition of "Art Revolution Taipei 2017" in Taipei Taiwan
Selected with two paintings as one of the finalists by jury of Artist Grand Prize Competition of Art Revolution Taipei 2017. The jury had selected 231 artworks out of 4207 submissions from 77 countries, to be exhibited in the exhibition of Artist Grand Prize Competition of Art Revolution Taipei 2017, Apr 13-17, 2017.

Finalist Award at 2nd International Open Art Competition ART OLYMPIA 2017, Tokyo, Japan
Painting "Observer" selected as one of the finalists at 2nd International Open Art Competition ART OLYMPIA 2017, Tokyo, Japan out of 1717 artworks by 1037 artists from 81 countries all over the world. Finalists exhibition in Toshima City exhibition hall, Tokyo, Jun 17-24.

" Art Vilnius 2017" , International Contemporary Art Fair, Vilnius, Lithuania
Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre LITEXPO, Laisvės ave 5, Vilnius, Lithuania. Halls 3, 4, 5
"Art Vilnius 2017" , International Contemporary Art Fair, Vilnius, Lithuania
"WAR" International art exhibition , Octopus art space in Riga
Preview show of International Artist Grand Prize Competition Art Revolution Taipei in Get Art Museum Taipei, Taiwan
11F, No.167, Sec.5, Ming Sheng E. Rd., Taipei, Taiwan 10589
Preview show of International Artist Grand Prize Competition Art Revolution Taipei in Get Art Museum Taipei, Taiwan
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