Ligita Franckeviča Receives 2024 COTY Lifetime Achievement Award
“Sculpture has always captivated me,” says Franckeviča.
Ligita Franckeviča was born on July 30, 1947, in Tukums, Latvia. She has an innate talent for sculpting. She works primarily with bronze that “molds to our whim” (Teodors Zaļkalns), but she also loves to use marble, sometimes even granite, and other hard materials. The artist keeps coming back to timeless themes: love, the ongoing life and its fragility, freedom, and flight, both physical and spiritual. “Sculpture has always captivated me,” says Franckeviča. She then reflects on how Tēlniecība, the Latvian word for sculpting as an art form, captures the concept of embodying a character. “While it may not be easy for everyone, I feel it comes naturally to me. The character comes to life in my hands, seemingly on its own.”
Franckeviča graduated from the Ceramics Department of Riga School of Design and Art (1967) and the Sculpture Department of the Art Academy of Latvia (1973).
She creates free-standing and miniature sculptures as well as relief and medal art. She has sculpted gravestones for Ita Kozakeviča, leader of the Latvian National Awakening (Riga, 1992), caricaturist Gunārs Bērziņš (Tukums, 2003), actress Elza Radziņa (Riga, 2007) and others. Furthermore, she has created monumental sculptures exhibited in outdoor settings. These include the sculpture of legendary Latvian director Eduards Smiļģis in his role as Tots in Riga (1978) and that of poet Mirdza Ķempe in Liepāja (1989), among others. The artist has also sculpted several portraits and memorial plaques of distinguished individuals for both indoor and outdoor settings: the portrait of actress Mirdza Šmithene, exhibited at the Latvian National Theatre (1985), the portraits of poet Uldis Bērziņš (memorial plaque; 2021), painter Vilhelms Purvītis, and architect and art scientist Vilhelms Neimanis, exhibited at the Latvian National Museum of Art for many years as well as other portraits, the majority of which are depicted on plaques, medals, and coins. The historical figures and contemporaries, some of whom are close and dear to the artist, are portrayed simply yet skillfully, making them surprisingly recognizable. The image immediately draws the viewer in, revealing its depth and richness and uncovering layers of deeper meaning—a personality like an endless expanse, vast and infinite.
The artist has collaborated with Latvijas Banka since 1995, creating plaster models for more than 60 collector coins. This includes the plaster models for the reverse of all coins in the “800 Years of Riga” series, a unique set of eight silver coins (1995–1998).
She has worked as a teacher at the Sculpture Department of Riga School of Design and Art (1973–1976) and as a molder at the industrial bronze foundry Māksla. She was the stage designer of Lelde Stumbre’s play Gaidīt (To Wait) at Liepāja Theatre (1986). The work branches out. “Can art change the world? It can open people’s eyes, and I have been striving for this my entire life. Lately, I have been particularly drawn to nature-themed subjects I wish to keep working on it.”
Franckeviča has participated in exhibitions since 1971 and has organized several solo exhibitions in various cities across Latvia. The most comprehensive overview of her achievements in sculpture was presented at the exhibition L+O. Laikmets. Tēlniecība (2017), which she organized together with her partner sculptor Ojārs Breģis. The artist has participated in significant group exhibitions of sculpture, the Sculpture Quadrennial Riga, Latvian and Baltic Medal Art Triennials, Baltic Sculpture Triennials, and various international exhibitions of miniature sculptures and medals. Moreover, she has also taken part in the congresses and exhibitions organized by the International Art Medal Federation (FIDEM).
Franckeviča has been a member of the Latvian Association of Artists (since 1976), the Latvian Association of Sculptors (since 1989), and FIDEM (since 1996).
She has received widespread recognition and numerous awards. Franckeviča has been awarded by the President of Latvia the Order of the Three Stars (Fourth Class; 2017).
She won an award at the Baltic Young Artist Exhibition in Vilnius (1979), a prize from the magazine Māksla at the Sculpture Quadrennial Riga-80, the first prize at the Miniature Sculpture Festival in Hungary (1983), a medal from the Latvian SSR Association of Artists at the Sculpture Quadrennial Riga-84, and a silver medal at the Baltic Medal Art Triennial in Vilnius (1986).
Numerous Latvijas Banka’s collector coins with Ligita Franckeviča’s plaster models have been awarded first prizes and named Latvia’s Coin of the Year: “Fog mists the pane” (2011), “Rainis and Aspazija” (2015), “Fairy Tale Coin II. Hedgehog’s Coat” (2017), “Smith Forges in the Sky” (2018), and others. They have also been awarded first prizes at the contests organized by the Publishing House Watermark. Coins she has worked on have won several category awards and a grand prix at the Coin of the Year Award (COTY).
Her works are stored in the Latvian National Museum of Art, the Museum of Latvian Association of Artists, the Dundaga Museum, and numerous private collections in Latvia and abroad.
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