Leonīds Baulins Art Exhibition “A Look Back” at the Polish House

From October 8 to 29, the Polish House will host an exhibition of works by Daugavpils artist Leonīds Baulins, “A Look Back.” The exhibition will feature works by Leonīds Baulins (1945-2002) created in the 1980s and 1990s, using both oil and other artistic techniques. The title “A Look Back” symbolically reflects the opportunity to look back at one of the most significant periods in the artist’s creative work. The works on display represent only a small part of Leonīds Baulins’ extensive artistic legacy.

Leonīds Baulins was a true patriot of Latvia and Latgale in his work. His paintings reveal landscapes of Latvian nature, the atmosphere of small towns, and moments of everyday life, which became an important source of inspiration for the artist. A special place in his work is devoted to Latgale and Daugavpils, the city with which most of his life and creative path were closely connected.

Together with his family, Leonīds Baulins came to Daugavpils at the age of six and spent most of his life in Latvia, especially in Latgale. He became interested in drawing in childhood, attending various art clubs. As a teenager, Baulins began studying at the Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) Art School, which at the time was one of the most prominent and prestigious art education institutions. However, he was not meant to complete his studies: in 1962, having become fascinated by symbolism and especially the work of Mikhail Vrubel, he was expelled from the school in his final year.

In 1968, Leonīds Baulins began studying at the Art Academy of Latvia in Riga (LMA). His teachers at the LMA included Kārlis Ubāns, Boriss Bērziņš, and Georgs Zemgals. At various stages of his creative work, the artist was inspired by the works of such great figures of world art as André Derain, Hans Falk, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Klee.

A broader insight into Leonīds Baulins’ work can be gained by visiting the L. Baulins Art Hall in the branch of the Rothko Museum, located in the premises of the former Daugavpils Local History and Art Museum at 8 Rīgas Street. The premises are currently under reconstruction, and the exposition will be available to visitors from 2027.

The exhibition “A Look Back” at the Polish House, 30 Warsaw Street, will be on view until October 29.